


Made an animal

by UndeadFae



Series: A wolf's pack [1]
Category: Inazuma Eleven
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Blood, Blood and Injury, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kidnapping, M/M, Mild Language, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Vampires, Werewolf Hunters, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:41:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 60,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23671726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UndeadFae/pseuds/UndeadFae
Summary: Sakuma was used to humans fearing him, trying to get rid of a foul creature like him- it just came with being a vampire. What he didn't expect was finding a wolf in need of help when the next hunters came for him. It's not an easy path, with more downs than ups, but they're trying.
Relationships: Genda Koujirou/Sakuma Jirou
Series: A wolf's pack [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1919620
Comments: 127
Kudos: 59





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> WELL HERE WE GO, MY FIRST ACTUAL MULTICHAPTER FIC.
> 
> This is probably one of the darkest things I've written here, so sorry in advance for how much pain will be in here- I already have a few chapters ready so I'll be trying my best to keep at least a weekly update schedule! I don't think I have anything else to say here, just let me know if you're liking it, either on my tumblr @thekingofkeepers or here in a comment, I would really appreciate it and it would help me keep writing!
> 
> No I don't take title criticism.
> 
> Disclaimer not everything in the tags might show up right away but I tried to put all the stuff that becomes relevant quickly at least. I'll add tags if I need them.

As a so called ruthless vampire at the head of a rumored line of royal blood, Sakuma was used to humans fearing him, trying anything they could to get rid of his corrupted presence when they managed to muster up enough courage to fight, believing him a threat to their loved ones. It wasn’t like he couldn’t understand where they were coming from with that, but well—he wouldn’t go down without a fight. He didn’t go out of his way to hunt down humans and recklessly endanger his people, but he welcomed the surprise dinner whenever they came.

It was a quiet and peaceful night, heading out to hunt some of the local wildlife to eat. It was supposed to be quick, leave the castle, find a deer or a boar, kill it and bring it back to have his much deserved dinner. Of course, things rarely went as one would expect them to.

He heard the rustling of leaves and bushes first, then the footsteps too heavy to be just any animals. Then, the scents- two that felt human, something else mixed in. They were not alone, and whatever they brought with them was probably dangerous. Just as his luck would have it, whatever that thing was didn’t make itself wait- and then he spotted the snout sticking to the ground, likely tracking down his scent.

Then, he saw the silver chain the wolf was dragging behind it- him, gleaming in the moonlight, almost buried under long, auburn fur, rough looking and likely not taken care of in a long time. That and the scars running over the right eye were already not a good sign. The dirt and blood caked all over it didn’t help make it look any better.

The wolf was nearly as big as the humans trailing behind him, clear even with his head kept low. No normal wolf then- then it clicked. A werewolf.

In a surprising display of raw power, the wolf suddenly lunged at him, jaws nearly snapping shut on his arm with enough strength to break a bone, Sakuma barely dodging the surprise attack in time. Whatever the two humans were yelling, he wasn’t paying attention, he was just seeing red. How _dared_ they to enslave a living creature like that, to force him to do their dirty work and still treat him like an animal?

As soon as they barked another –likely- order, the wolf growled, the only warning sign before he lunged again, far too vicious for someone being treated the way he was. Right there and then, Sakuma made up his mind. He would make them pay, for the vampires they were trying and already had hunted down, and for the other creatures forced to suffer at their hands.

The fight didn’t last much longer after that, the vampire quick to get out of the way of any attack, unwilling to harm the wolf forced to follow orders. He didn’t want to know what would happen to him if he lost. It didn’t take much for him to overpower the wolf, just being patient enough to let him tire himself out. Poor thing looked like it hadn’t even been fed recently.

As soon as Sakuma was ready to turn on the humans, a shrill whistle echoed through the night. The tired wolf was on the ground, whining and trashing as he shook his head and tried to cover his ears. Finding himself stunned by the sudden whistle, Sakuma couldn’t react until it was too late, one of them yanking the chain with enough strength to choke the wolf as he rushed to get back on now shaky legs. They dragged him away before he could do anything, holding him too close to even safely take out just one of them.

He wouldn’t let this happen again. Next time, there would be blood.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, the human hunters came back with the wolf fairly soon, determined to finish whatever poor excuse of a job they came to do. Sakuma was prepared this time.

Hidden as he was between the branches of the highest tree he could find nearby, the bat observed from his perching spot, quiet and unseen. They had already wandered in the woods a few more times before, but this time, he had to make sure everything would work smoothly. He wouldn’t- couldn’t give them another chance to strike. And so he observed and waited. This time, he would be merciless.

Eventually, he saw his chance. The frustrated humans foolishly decided to split up, to cover more field in search of the vampire, like they were really prepared to face him like that. It would be so easy.

Quietly, the bat stalked after the lone human, moving from branch to branch, from tree to tree, keeping himself high enough to stay out of sight.

A clawed out throat, a gurgling gasp, then silence. Quick and efficient. One more to go.

The blood was fresh enough for the scent to reach the wolf. Climbing up a tree once again, he watched and waited nearby. Sure enough, it worked, be it hours or mere minutes later. The barking and rushed footsteps were quickly approaching the clearing, screaming some name he couldn’t care any less about.

While the human yelled in the general direction of the woods, daring the coward creature to come out, the wolf quietly sniffed the air, trying as much as he could to pick the scents apart. Before he could even realize someone else was there, Sakuma moved, much more brutal than before. The human’s neck was torn and shredded to pieces in a matter of seconds, the vampire nonchalantly shifting back to his human form, not minding the blood soaking up his clothes.

The wolf was suddenly quiet, frozen in place, doing nothing but watching the bloody corpses on the ground. Sakuma prepared himself for an attack, for him to lash out, to howl and growl and keep fighting. He wasn’t ready to just… see him there, as still as a statue, like he hadn’t quite processed the scene that just unfolded before his eyes. He could only hope it was a good thing, as much as it very likely wasn’t.

With a soft sigh, Sakuma stepped over the corpses, rummaging through their pockets. The sudden noise snapped the wolf out of his trance, now acutely aware of whatever the vampire was doing. A few moments later, and he found what he was looking for, glancing at the wolf just to make sure he was still there- and indeed, he didn’t budge from his spot. Odd, but it worked for him.

“I know you can’t trust me,” his ears twitched. Sakuma decided to take it as having successfully caught his attention, “but I’m trying to help you now.” He took a step closer. The wolf bared his fangs, a deep growl at the back of his throat. A warning signal- not surprising, really. Sakuma just showed him the key now resting in his hands. “I promise- I’m going to help you. Just let me get closer and I’ll take that chain off.” Another tentative step. The wolf was still growling, albeit weaker than before. Slowly, he closed the distance between them, keeping his hands in plain sight, trying his best to keep the wolf calm.

In a matter of seconds, the chain fell to the ground, the wolf jumping back, staring at it and trying to keep as much distance as possible from it. Sakuma let go of the key, making a mental note of getting rid of that thing later.

“Alright, that’s taken care of now.” That got his attention right away, blinking as he stared at him. Now that Sakuma could take a closer look, he nearly winced at just how poor the wolf’s condition was, the dried blood caked on his tangled fur hiding the worst of it. He bit his lower lip, trying his hardest to push away the thoughts on how this all could have happened. “… You look terrible. I can take you back at my home to help you…”

Without thinking, he raised a hand, not sure if he was just trying to smooth a bit his mess of a fur, comfort the likely still frightened wolf or both. In a split second, his ears perked up, fur standing and teeth bared, not hesitating to try and bite his hand off. As soon as Sakuma fell back with a yelp, the wolf bolted, rushing towards the deeper part of the woods, pushed by sheer survival instinct and adrenaline.

“Hey- wait-!” When he collected himself enough to get back on his feet, it was too late, the wolf had disappeared in the depth of the forest.

* * *

The next time Sakuma saw the wolf, days had passed.

Every time he left the old castle, be it to hunt or just to take a walk, he would keep an eye out in the woods and stay out longer than usual, careful at any possible sight of the wolf, his concern growing when his search turned out just as unsuccessful as the previous day. There was no possible way he had managed to leave the forest, not in the condition he was in, much less without attracting any human’s attention. Something shifted uncomfortably in his stomach at the thought of what could have happened to him by now, knowing he could’ve prevented it, could’ve helped him sooner and yet didn’t try hard enough.

It was a cloudy day, the grey skies already announcing the upcoming storm. With the sunlight safely hidden away, Sakuma figured it was a good enough day to go hunting before the rain would get too bad to safely go out.

The first droplets were falling, and he was following a lonely deer in his hunt when he caught wind of that scent. Hunt be damned, the deer ran away as soon as he rushed to follow the scent. It was so close, closer than it had been in days, like hell he’d just let this chance pass. Even if what expected him was not what he wanted to see, even if he had to once again witness the cruelty of the world, at least he would try.

There it was, under the shade of a tree, curled up on himself to hide his injuries. Sakuma almost didn’t recognize him until the messy auburn fur and scars over the right eye gave him away. The wolf was trying to hide in his human form, ears flat against his head and tail curling around one of his legs even in his sleep- had it been panic, fear or something else pushing him to that, he didn’t know, nor cared enough to find out just yet. There were more pressing matters to take care of at the moment.

Silently, he stepped closer, careful of not alerting him and making him run away once again. The wolf didn’t even stir, almost dead to the world. Sakuma released the breath he was holding once he finally spotted the rise and fall of his chest. Just asleep, then- or so he hoped. Promising to himself to apologize later, Sakuma stepped close enough to touch him, a hesitant hand brushing dirty and tangled hair aside to feel his forehead. His skin was sweaty and hot, alarmingly so, enough to be felt even through the fabric of his gloves. This wasn’t good.

“I’m sorry-” with those whispered words, he didn’t care about the consequences anymore, picking up the feverish wolf as best as he could- even with whatever hell he had gone through, he was still tall and heavy enough to make carrying him somewhat uncomfortable. Sakuma didn’t care, somehow managing to lift him, stopping for the briefest of moments just to ensure that he hadn’t woken him up. The wolf was still asleep- probably unconscious for who knows how long with that fever, and probably not about to wake up any time soon. As long as he was still alive and could still recover, that was good enough for Sakuma.

With the rain getting harsher, he started his walk back to the castle. There was much to be done.


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out I have too many chapters already written and not enough patience for weekly updates like I thought so here we are again- let's see if I can live with a monday/friday update schedule.
> 
> Hope you enjoy reading, please leave a comment and/or a kudo if you liked it, it really helps me a lot!

The wolf had been sleeping a lot since the day Sakuma found him. It wasn’t surprising, not with his fever and injuries only being treated now, but he found it concerning, to say the least. Regardless, he was still trying to take care of him at the best of his abilities.

After the initial panic seeing him step in with an unconscious wolf covered in blood in his arms, the others had calmed down enough to help, rushing to get a room ready for him along with the supplies Sakuma requested to treat him. The amount of blood –fresh and old-, injuries and bruises was alarming and almost terrifying. After careful cleaning to get rid of the worst still clinging to his skin and dressing all the wounds, Sakuma pulled a light blanket on him, made sure he would be comfortable and hoped for the best, decided to go find an adequate remedy for his fever for the time being. He at least deserved to rest well.

Every few hours or so, Sakuma peeked into the room he was sleeping in, to then step in and take a closer look at his injuries, changing bandages and ensuring his fever wasn’t rising, wiping his forehead with a wet cloth. Even when he tried to get it done quickly and let the wolf rest, he couldn’t help but falter as soon as the bandages were taken off, his eyes lingering on the mess of scars that littered his torso and extended to his arms. His grip on the dirty cloth tightened at the sight, his hands shaking as he counted each of them, studied their shape, wondered how old they were. How long he had been suffering like this. How much he had waited for help.

There was always one that stood out above the others. While most of his scars looked –he hoped- like they were the result of an ugly fight, one right over his shoulder was different, older than the others with a shape he couldn’t recognize, thin lines crossing each other, too precise and deliberate to be just an accident. If he squinted his eye it might have looked like a letter mixed with something else. The implications made his stomach churn.

Pushing away those thoughts, refusing to linger on how and why he could’ve been hurt like that, he forced his hands to keep moving, to carefully clean and bandage each fresh injury, promising to the wolf and to himself that these wouldn’t leave such a gruesome mark. Sometimes he didn’t leave right away, sitting on the edge of the bed and watching him, hoping this was finally the time he would wake up. No such luck.

At first, the few times he woke were just delirious, feverish spurts, just a few minutes at most, not even managing to ask him how he was feeling and what was hurting him before seeing him pass out again. Sakuma kept trying, even when the other vampires asked him to rest and just let him recover. He wasn’t giving up on him.

* * *

When he peeked into the room that day, his eye widened, a hand quickly reaching up to stifle a surprised gasp. In the bed, the wolf was awake and sitting up, a tangled mess with the sheets, carefully staring at the bandages, hesitantly touching them like they were something foreign to him, ears twitching as he glanced at his surroundings. He was finally awake and aware, his fever seemingly gone, to his relief.

Slowly, Sakuma pushed the door open to step in. The wolf’s attention snapped to the door, ears straight up and unmoving, tail shifting to curl up closer to his body. Well, that was one way to get his attention. This was already going horribly wrong, he could tell that much.

“… Hello. I see you’re finally awake.” He was still staring him up and down, eyes narrowing as he slowly stepped closer. He still wasn’t moving from his spot on the bed, though. Sakuma really hoped things were going better than he expected.

Then, he took a step too close to the bed. It was like the flip of a switch.

Before Sakuma could even react, the wolf bolted out of bed, crouched on the floor as he unwillingly backed himself into a corner, heart pounding, claws digging and shredding into the carpet, teeth bared, the fur on his tail standing and a low, continuous growl leaving his throat. Despite the unspoken threat, Sakuma had somehow managed to hold his breath, keep himself calm and stay still, even when he already spotted red stains seeping through the bandages and his figure started shaking.

“Hey- I don’t mean to harm you, sorry for startling you. I’m here to look at your injuries, alright? You need help.” The wolf wasn’t backing down, though, not hesitating to show his fangs if he tried to step closer, growl quickly turning into a snarl. Sakuma sighed, running a hand through his hair. He’d need to try something else, then.

After a moment, he carefully starting taking one step back after the other. The wolf wasn’t taking his eyes off him, though the growling slowly came to a halt, tilting his head as he tried to figure out what exactly this vampire was doing. As soon as he reached it, Sakuma peeked out of the door, calling someone for help. A few minutes later, and he was brought what he asked for.

When he turned and stepped back into the room, the wolf didn’t move one inch from the corner, still watching him with narrowed eyes, body tense and ready to pounce. Sakuma didn’t let it get to him- it was only understandable after who knows what he had suffered, being cornered by a stranger would not make him any happier than whatever he was dealing with before.

“Are you hungry? Here, you can take this.” Stepping as close as he could without being attacked as a result, Sakuma carefully laid the plate and glass he was carrying on the ground. Then, he stepped back, sitting on the floor on the opposite side of the room, still within eyesight, but far away enough to leave the wolf out of reach.

At first, he didn’t move. All he did was stare at him, then at the plate in silence, nose twitching once the scent reached him. Then, his stomach growled. Loudly. He needed the food, they both knew that.

After what felt like hours, the wolf took a hesitant step forward. Then another, regularly stopping just to ensure Sakuma hadn’t moved from his spot. When he reached the plate, a hand snatched the neatly cut meat from it, the other hand grabbing the glass of water, spilling some in the process. He quickly moved back to his corner, sniffing it carefully in search of danger, still glancing at the vampire, waiting for the slightest sign of a threat. Sakuma still wasn’t stepping any closer, wasn’t even moving to avoid a terrible misunderstanding.

For what felt like minutes, the wolf was still staring at him with narrowed eyes, the food still in his hands. Sakuma wasn’t sure what he was waiting for- he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know either with the pained and suspicious glances thrown his way. Then, the wolf shoved as much of his food into his mouth as possible at once, trying to chew and swallow as fast as he could, nearly choking on it on more than one occasion, seemingly not even stopping to breathe as he ate it. Taking deep breaths when it was all gone, he turned to the glass of water, claws scratching the delicate surface, sticking his tongue in the water after sniffing it, taking a while to figure out how to drink it, like he had never been in his human form before. It all looked so messy and desperate, Sakuma’s heart ached a little at the sight.

With that taken care of, the wolf decided to go back to glaring at him, curled up on himself as if that could really hide the now worrying amount of blood seeping through the bandages, just glaring at him, daring him to try again and step closer, to come and touch him again. Sakuma felt like he was trying to coax a cornered animal out of hiding. He hated it.

“Please, let me help you- your wounds opened again, we need to take care of them!” In his fear of seeing him get worse after finally waking up, Sakuma raised his voice, louder than he intended to. The wolf growled, pushing himself against the corner in an attempt to hide, eyes wide and claws now shredding the carpet and scratching the wooden floor below, lips peeling back to fully show his fangs.

It wasn’t just a threat anymore- it was a warning, screaming at him to leave right away before it could get worse, telling him that he wouldn’t hesitate to attack.

This… wasn’t going to be easy.


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been waiting all week to post this fngndfjkgnfdjkndfgjk hope yall like this, leave a comment or a kudo if you did please?

“What’s your name?”

A grunt. Sakuma sighed, a hand running through his hair.

A few days ago, the wolf finally had awoke despite his injuries. And now he refused to even so much as acknowledge Sakuma’s presence, curled up in a corner of the room whenever he walked in to check on him. No matter how much he tried to talk him into at least taking the bed, the wolf wasn’t budging, his fur standing whenever Sakuma spoke to him. His questions went unanswered, his pleads to help him ignored. He was just shutting himself away from the world. Sakuma started to wonder if he could even understand his words- he did react to his voice, as aggressive as it sounded, but did he know what he meant with his questions? Could he see his concern?

Not knowing what else to do, Sakuma had limited himself to bringing fresh meat and water to his room- if the wolf refused to let him touch his injuries, the least he could do was at least ensure he would be eating properly. They soon fell into this routine, Sakuma bringing food up to his room, trying to ask how he was feeling and whether or not he needed something, the wolf grunting or growling in answer, waiting for him to leave before even daring to approach the plate. The carpet in the corner had been almost completely torn apart and peeled away, the wood beneath looking like a cat’s scratcher.

The only relief in this situation, as small as it was, was knowing he was eating. Sakuma felt a little better knowing –hoping- that he wouldn’t be able to count his ribs anymore at some point.

“Can I look at your injuries now?” Even with a very much welcomed lack of new bloodstains –he really hoped this meant the wolf wasn’t pushing himself-, the worry over how he was healing was still there. His question is hesitant, still holding onto a meek hope that this time he would get a different answer. And he did get something new- silence. The wolf hadn’t even bothered to reply with his usual threats this time around, just laying there, curled up as usual, with his back turned to him. Odd.

Sakuma almost turned and left, deciding it would be for the best to just leave him alone- he didn’t even want to think of the reaction he would get if the wolf woke up while he tried to step too close for comfort. He only took a quiet step towards the door when his eye fell on the bed. The sheets and pillows laid there untouched ever since he had retreated to the corner of the room. He hadn’t dared to touch the bed since the first time he saw the vampire. Even in his sleep, he was hugging himself, trying to make himself as tiny as possible, his tail curling up around his body. Sakuma could swear he could see his figure shivering ever so slightly.

Slow and careful not to make any noise, Sakuma inched closer to the bed.

First, he took the pillows. There would be no way to get him comfortable over them without waking him up –who knows how light his sleep is-, so he limited himself to laying them on the floor as close as possible to him. Then, Sakuma carefully picked up the sheets, draping them over him, abruptly stopping when he squirmed and shifted in his sleep. Once he was sure the wolf wasn’t waking up, Sakuma finished his job. A few moments later, and he seemed to relax, even if just a little.

* * *

The next day, Sakuma knocked on the door as usual, more to announce his presence and avoid unwanted surprises rather than asking for permission- it’s not like the wolf would be telling him he was welcome, at least not yet. When he walked in, his gaze landed on the corner of the room, occupied as usual by their temporary guest. The wolf had somehow managed to get tangled in the blankets, making a nest out of them with the pillows sort of spread out around him. His tail managed to poke out of the chaos of fabric overnight, gently swaying in the air. Despite what had to be an uncomfortable position, he somehow looked a little more at ease than the day before.

“Hey… I brought you breakfast.” And as they had gotten used to by now, he left the plate on the floor as close as he could get, backing away to give him his space while he watched over him. This time, the wolf didn’t hesitate as much as before when he reached for the food, didn’t inspect it as carefully as he was used to before eating it, not as fast and nearly desperate as before. He really wanted to believe this to be a good sign.

When the wolf was done eating, he looked down at his bandaged injuries. Before Sakuma could ask if something was wrong, he scratched at the cloth, trying to peel it off with his claws, only to wince and hiss as the dried blood stuck to the fabric.

“Hey- be careful with that! You’re going to hurt yourself!” The wolf flinched at his sudden outburst, glaring at him, barely holding back a growl. Sakuma froze, already cursing himself for making things much worse than they were. A moment later, the wolf was back to picking at the bandages, hissing whenever he accidentally hit or touched a sore spot. Whatever he was trying to do, it wasn’t really working, Sakuma could tell that much.

Part of him thought he should be leaving him alone, let him figure out things at his own pace after such a big change. The other part of him was screaming to help, to stay there and do something.

Sakuma sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy or pretty… but he still had to try.

“Would you like me to help with that? You need to have those bandages changed- it’s for your own good.”

At first, the wolf didn’t pay any attention to him, still trying to get rid of them himself, his frustrated noises steadily increasing. It shouldn’t have surprised him, really- he’d just get up, leave him alone to rest and try again the next day.

At least that was his plan, until the wolf slowly, almost reluctantly, extended his arm, offering it to him. Sakuma blinked once, twice, his eye glued to the arm and the bandages reduced to a torn up, bloody and dirty mess.

“… R-really?” After what felt like hours, the wolf nodded. “Alright- alright, I’ll just- I’ll be right back, I need to get fresh bandages and- I’ll be right back.” And with that, he rushed out of the room, hurrying to gather everything he could find and go back before the wolf could change his mind.

When Sakuma stepped into the room once again, the wolf was staring at the door. He was still hunched on himself, almost trying to hide in his nest of blankets, but not as badly, not as reserved as before. His tail flicked as he watched the vampire slowly come closer, still too hesitant to break whatever sort of boundary they had managed to establish in such a rocky stay.

Then, Sakuma took a step closer. His ears perked up, his tail suddenly still. He wasn’t growling just yet, as much as he looked like he just wanted to, putting all the effort he could into holding back. Sakuma took another step, now within arm reach. The wolf grew tenser seeing him so close, but still refused to growl at him and push him away. Releasing the breath he was holding, Sakuma slowly sat down, carefully arranging the various objects he brought on the floor. Better let him see everything right away than have him wait for an unwanted surprise- anymore than what he was already expecting, at least.

“Please, let me see your arm.” The wolf quietly complied, turning his head to face the other day. Even with that, Sakuma could see how he was still glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. “I’m going to take off the rest of the bandages, alright? Sorry if it hurts- I’ll try to be careful.” Easier said than done with the dried blood making them stick to his skin- hopefully getting them soaked would be enough to make this as quick and painless as possible. As expected, the wolf tensed up as soon as he touched his arm, wincing and growling as the bandages finally came off. He nearly yanked his arm back on more than one occasion, somehow managing to hold himself back.

Lucky them, that was just the worst of it. Sakuma sighed in relief after cleaning and carefully inspecting the injuries. Despite the last few days, they were healing better than he expected, no apparent infection in sight. Afterwards, it was just a matter of bandaging it again and letting it heal on its own. It would likely still leave a nastier scar than he expected, but at least he was still alive.

The surprised look on the wolf’s face as he stared at the newly bandaged arm with wide eyes, like he couldn’t quite believe what just happened to it, made his heart ache.

Maybe, just maybe, Sakuma could hope for things to get better soon.


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome the baby and please leave a kudo and a comment for him? please??

Over the next few days, Sakuma managed to slowly get all of the wolf’s injuries checked, cleaned and bandaged again. Every day, he would silently show him this or that injury, allowing Sakuma to carefully check and clean it. As soon as he was fed up with being touched and prodded, he would growl until Sakuma let go- more of a somewhat forceful request for him to leave than a threat by then.

They were small steps, but for Sakuma they were enough, already more than what he could’ve ever expected when taking the wolf in.

The following days followed that new routine, Sakuma ensuring he was eating and healing as he should, still trying to make small talk with him. The wolf didn’t seem willing to talk to him just yet, but whenever Sakuma spoke, his ears would perk up and twitch, his tail occasionally swaying to follow their movement. He was paying closer attention to what Sakuma was saying. That was new- and a very much welcome change. They were making progress, slowly but steadily.

* * *

Sakuma walked out of the room, closing the door as carefully as possible while he balanced a plate and dirty bandages to throw away with the other hand. As soon as he started making his way towards the kitchen, he could feel the pair of eyes on his back, his ears picking up the faint footsteps behind him.

“… You can come out, I know you’re there.” For a moment, nothing really happened. Sakuma quietly shook his head. He was already used to this. “You’re not tricking me, you know?”

“Aw…” A small werewolf walked out of the closest hall, a pout on his face as he flicked his tail. “Not fair- you always know where I am.”

“Kenya- you know I’m a vampire, I have a good hearing.” Kenya just huffed, arms crossed behind his head as he followed. For a while, they just walked through the halls together in silence. Sakuma already noticed from the corner of his eye how his tail couldn’t quite stay still. “What do you want to ask?”

“… How is he doing?” Kenya hesitantly glanced back at the hall they just left, brow furrowed and ears low. So that’s what was worrying him… Sakuma pressed his lips together, letting out a soft sigh.

“I… I’m not sure. He’s letting me look over his wounds now, but that’s as far as we’ve gotten.” As glad as he was to be finally able to do that, it was still a small step forward. One in the right direction, but a small one nonetheless. Kenya nodded as he listened, a frown on his face and a hand to his chin as he hummed, deep in though.

“Oh- I know! What if I go talk to him!” His tail was now wagging, Kenya puffing out his chest as his ears perked up. Sakuma just blinked in mild confusion. His tail was still wagging. He was pretty determined about it, apparently. It wasn’t like Sakuma couldn’t see where this was coming from- they both were werewolves, maybe he’d be more comfortable around someone of his own kind, but…

“… I… don’t know? I don’t think he’s… ready to meet anyone else yet. He probably needs more time.” Kenya visibly deflated, the perfect image of a kicked puppy sitting in the rain all alone.

“Yeah… I get it, I guess…”

“I could ask him over the next days if he feels ready to come out of his room.” Now he perked up at the offer.

“Really?” His ears perked up, fully alert. Sakuma just wordlessly nodded- there was no harm in trying, right? Even if the wolf decided to leave once he healed, the least they could do was let him know he still had a safe place to stay. “Alright, then! I’ll go tell Doumen too!”

“Wait, Kenya-” Sakuma didn’t even have the time to speak up, Kenya already rushing off, satisfied with the answer he got. “… I don’t even know if he’ll want to come out.” Well, it was too late to warn him now. He made a mental note of talking to him later… and make sure no one else was getting any weird idea. Sakuma sighed to himself. Why was keeping the order in one single castle with a handful of monsters so hard?

He just hoped things would really work out for the best.

* * *

As usual, Sakuma had brought a fresh plate of food for the wolf, along with new bandages and water. The wolf was starting to open up, bit by bit- he liked to think so, at least, judging by how he was starting to spread his nest of blankets and pillows a bit further into the floor of the room. He was still refusing to climb on the bed, though.

Regardless, Sakuma sat on the floor as close as he could, offering him the plate. The wolf was quick to take it, scarfing down the meat in a few big bites.

“You really like that meat, uh?” The wolf didn’t pay much attention to him, too busy chewing on his food. “Can I look at your injuries now?” At that question, he suddenly went still, to then busy himself fiddling with his tail. That reaction was enough to worry Sakuma already. “Hey… is there something wrong?” The wolf looked up at him for a moment, to then quickly glance away, shifting in his spot, tail twitching uneasily. Sakuma waited with a patience he didn’t really expect to have. Whatever it was, he would make sure to help as much as he could.

Then, he opened his mouth, closing it again and shutting his eyes tightly, as if whatever he was trying to would somehow be wrong. Sakuma didn’t push him, didn’t say anything just yet, as much as the sight pained him, deciding to busy himself with gathering everything he would be taking out of the room, all to give him time to steel himself for whatever he wanted to do now.

The wolf took a deep breath, forcing himself to look at Sakuma again.

“… K… Kou…jirou. K-Koujirou.” Sakuma blinked, suddenly turning to look at him. He… he had to have heard that wrong, right? Did he really just… “… M-my… name…” He pointed at himself for emphasis, as if too unsure of the words coming out of his mouth. His voice was a raspy whisper, what sounded like years of disuse heaving on it, taking his time to get the words out like he had to stop to think them over carefully, wincing by the end of it like he himself was surprised to know how awful it sounded like. Sakuma couldn’t quite focus on that just yet.

The wolf- Koujirou had talked. To him. He was talking to him, even if it was just giving him his name. He couldn’t really help his tiny smile.

“I’m Sakuma Jirou- it’s nice to meet you, Koujirou.”


	5. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE WE GO INE OF MY FAVE CHAPTERS SO FAR  
> pwease weave Kudo? :)

Ever since he was brought to this odd castle, Koujirou had lost track of time. Not like he had much of it back when he was with… them. Not when most of his time was spent somewhere dark or blissfully unaware of everything. It used to almost be a blessing in disguise- the last thing he wanted was knowing how long it had been, how many years he had spent there.

Now, however? He wasn’t sure he liked it.

Of course, he never liked it before, would’ve never wanted anything of what happened, none of the blood he had to shed or the countless hours of pain he endured. It was just easy to bear it when he knew what to expect.

Here, however? Here it was all different.

He wasn’t being ordered to do anything, just for starters. There were no chains, the food was always brought to him more than once a day, no one was coming in to drag him out and make him hunt. He woke up with clothes that weren’t his, only now stained with his own blood, not worn down, torn and ripped in different parts. It was all weird and he still didn’t know what to expect.

Sometimes he paced the room when he was sure no one would be coming in any time soon. Before, something like that would have gotten him in trouble- no one wanted a misbehaving dog, they said. The vampire –a careful sniff gave away the bloody scent within minutes of seeing him- kept giving him weird looks whenever he found him sitting on floor, quickly dismissing it in favor of feeding him. He still didn’t understand the problem with that- he was used to it, so what was wrong with it? Wasn’t that what he was supposed to do? This vampire was really weird. The ones he hunted down wouldn’t think twice before trying to fight and kill.

Anyways, the room was nice, nicer than what he was used to, no bars or chains in sight. That was another one for the list of weird things he had found so far. It looked more like a human’s room than a dog’s- if the place he used to live in could be even called a room.

He kept expecting to get yelled at, to wake up once again surrounded by chains, to be dragged out and kicked around, ordered to go fetch their next prey and told to do better the next time. As much as he waited and waited and kept waiting, nothing happened. The vampire kept walking in with food for him, asking to look over his injuries with what almost sounded like concern tinting his voice. It had to be a trick. And so he kept growling and lashing out. He wasn’t going to let himself be tricked- if this vampire wanted to do something to him, to avenge the ones he had killed or get himself a guard dog or whatever his intentions were, he would make him say it. He wouldn’t take any fake kindness.

Despite his warnings and threats, nothing was changing. The vampire was still bringing him food, refused to get too close to him, didn’t even attempt to touch him after a growl. As much as he tried, Koujirou didn’t understand. Why wasn’t he trying anything already? While it was still easy to subdue him at the slightest hint of rebellion? This vampire was weird. He didn’t like it.

The nights were cold, colder than what he was used to after years spent in the shape of a beast. He wasn’t used anymore not to having fur covering his body. A few times he considered shifting, as unsure as he was to even be able to remember how to do it –how had he ended up in this human-looking form again, anyways?-, but he quickly changed his mind. He wasn’t being hurt, no matter how hostile he was. He didn’t want to change the vampire’s mind by stepping out of line like that. He could endure the cold- it wasn’t the worst he had gone through.

… Except when he woke up, he wasn’t cold and shivering anymore, something soft covering him. When he forced himself to open his eyes, the sheets on the bed had been draped over him, the pillows surrounding him on the floor. He blinked, a hand tentatively reaching out to touch them- and confirmed he wasn’t dreaming or hallucinating. The sheets and pillows were definitely and carefully arranged around him to warm him up at least a bit.

He couldn’t have possibly done that, not even by moving or getting up in his sleep. Did the vampire really…?

He refused to believe that- he was still a prisoner, maybe even less than that. Sure, he was being fed, but that didn’t mean the vampire really cared for him… did it?

…

Maybe… just maybe… he was judging him wrongly. Maybe for once… someone didn’t want to hurt him. As weird as that sounded.

Maybe he could try to trust him just a little more. He had been prepared to be hurt all this time, what would it change if it only happened after giving him some trust? So what if the idea alone was scaring him after years upon years unable to rely on anyone? Even if it was all still a trick, that just meant things would go back to what he was really used to. He could go back to his true nature. Nothing wrong with it. And if that’s what ended up happening… he could deal with it. He wouldn’t have to keep waiting for who knows what, second guessing his every step like that might be what finally sent him to his grave.

The next time the vampire walked in, he tried to get rid of his bandages. If he insisted so much on wanting to look at a few scratches on his arm, then he might as well show him, right? … Except he didn’t take into account the dried blood making the fabric stick to his skin. Hissing and growling at the sudden noise after nearly peeling his skin off wasn’t the best idea, really, but now he was just determined to get them all off on his own. Easier said than done. And then he realized that, no matter how much he kept stubbornly trying, there was no way he was doing this on his own. Guess this would be the first test of trust, after all.

The vampire had a better idea than him to take them off, at least. He didn’t really like getting his arm soaked and the bandages were still sticking to his skin, but it worked. He couldn’t help his own surprise as he watched the vampire carefully clean and bandage the wound, not once trying to roughly grab and pull him or hit him whenever he growled. Within minutes, the old, dirty bandages were replaced by fresh ones, all traces of blood gone from his arm.

As soon as it was done, he backed away, almost trying to shield himself with the blankets. The vampire tried to ask to see more, but another deep growl was enough to send him away. He already had a lot to think about to worry over his other injuries being prodded and touched. If there was something to worry about. He hadn’t made up his mind on that yet.

The same thing happened for the rest of his injuries. He’d only allow the vampire to look one at a time, and somehow he wasn’t asking for more, demanding and ordering him to behave. He just couldn’t understand why… but it was getting harder to see this vampire as the evil he was supposed to be, to put him in the same group as all those other creatures so thirsty for blood that clawed and shrieked and bit in their attempts to make him give up the hunt.

He refused to stop believing that it really wasn’t a trick- he couldn’t give himself hope.

There was still more he could try- things that would’ve gotten him a scolding at the very best before, back with _them_ when he was just a dog. It would be riskier, he knew it well. He wasn’t sure if he had just stopped caring or if some part of him genuinely thought someone would be nice to him for once. He wasn’t sure which one he preferred either.

He couldn’t remember the last time he used his voice. All those years spent as a beast almost made him forget how to speak, barely clinging to his own name, to the only shred of identity he still had left. His first few attempts devolved into a coughing fit, his throat still sore and aching, still dry after so long without trying to string together real words instead of animalistic noises, to then be left burning after so much coughing in his attempts to breathe again.

Despite the pain, he kept trying. Even if it did make the vampire angry in the end, he at least would try to be able to speak again, even when he couldn’t find the words anymore since the day he had been forced to give up that human part of him. He didn’t want to give up, as silly as something like just being able to speak sounded.

His attempt to finally speak at the vampire was a pitiful one, something to be laughed at, barely any better than the times he had practiced on his own.

The vampire just looked at him dumbfounded, not saying anything at first, not doing anything other than stare- and how could he not, when a dog had just spoken to him instead of knowing his place? Now he really pushed it too far, there was no way he could get out of this one without new bruises or worse- and then the vampire smiled at him, introducing himself like nothing was wrong in the world. Koujirou stared, for once completely lost. He wasn’t angry? He wasn’t going to yell and kick and put him back into his place?

The conversation was very one sided and brief afterwards, Koujirou still struggling too much with finding the right words and too shocked to say much. The vampire- Sakuma left soon after, claiming he had things to take care of and that he would be giving him space. He couldn’t get his mind off the exchange for the rest of the day, even after curling up in his nest of blankets to sleep.

He couldn’t quite manage to go to sleep that night. His mind was too busy processing everything to let him rest, going over even the tiniest detail, every interaction they had. As much as he tried, he still couldn’t find any shred of hatred, of anger and trickery, any sign that the- Sakuma would be doing the same thing as _them_. Was he being too trusting? Was it wrong to think this would be alright? That he really wouldn’t be hurt for once?

He glanced at the door, thinking. Maybe… maybe it wasn’t locked like that old cage.

Was someone on the other side, making sure he didn’t step out of line- was there even a line anymore? When did everything stop being so clearly black and white, anyways? As small as it was, his world had been flipped upside down in days. He didn’t know if he would be able to handle any more doubts that night.

He just wanted to run. Even if it wasn’t out of there.

After what felt like hours, he made up his mind. Standing up on shaky legs, he attempted to take a step forward, only to almost lose his balance and push himself against the wall to stay on his feet- hard enough to make him wince in pain. He still wasn’t used to being back to this form.

He was still an animal, deep down.

It was just another horrible decision in a string of bad ideas, really. There wasn’t much more he could do by now to make his situation even worse, not even knowing if or what unspoken rules he had broken- without mentioning the ones already ingrained into his brain after so many years.

Once he finally managed to push himself and reach the door, he grabbed the handle, almost clinging to it with all his weight. Fumbling with it, he growled in frustration as he clumsily tried to just get it open. It took far more effort and attempts than he would’ve ever wanted to admit, but it was open.

The wolf stepped out of the room.


	6. 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was held at gunpoint to post this

As it was already usual for him, Kenya was sneaking out of his room as soon as everyone was either asleep or just too busy to notice, well on his way towards the kitchen. He’d just step in, carefully go through the food reserves, find whatever snack he was craving and rush back to his room as silently as possible. Easy plan, never failed him so far, all should be good then, right?

Well, it was going just as he planned, so it could be said that it was all good.

He reached the kitchen without running into anyone, proceeding to go through the food as quietly as possible. All he could find within reach was dried meat, though- a shame, really. But well, he was hungry, he was already there, no reason to get picky now, right? And so he begrudgingly grabbed a handful of it, tail flicking in annoyance as he rearranged everything to make the missing food less noticeable.

It was when he was already making his way back, munching on a piece of meat without a care in the world, that he heard it. He stopped, ears twitching and strained, careful of any sound, just to be sure- and there they were again.

There were steps down the hallway, soft and hesitant.

Did someone wake up already? It was too soon for that- and they were going to find out he was up stealing from the kitchen again. Fuck. Maybe if he just hurried up to get back to his room then no one would find out- he really, _really_ hoped so, at least.

He quickly slipped into another hallway, footsteps soft and quiet against the cold floor, when he saw him, immediately stopping on his tracks.

The wolf was quietly staring down at him, nearly towering over him, scars visible even through his messy fur, ripped and torn strands of what looked like bandages tangled and clinging to him, body tense as if ready to pounce- or run. Kenya was frozen in place, staring up at him, already feeling himself shaking. Some small part of him caught up with the facts and realized this must’ve been the wolf Sakuma brought in, not fully understanding just how big and imposing he would be until finding himself face to face with him. All he could really see through his blurred sight was the massive, snarling wolf lunging at him, fangs bared and bloody, bites and scratches covering his shaking arms.

After what felt like ages, the wolf took a hesitant step towards him, nose twitching and sniffing at him, maybe trying to figure out if he was a threat or not, maybe deciding if he was his next meal. Suddenly, all those thoughts of helping and befriending the poor wolf flew straight out of his mind, blind panic fully setting in.

Kenya wasn’t thinking anymore- dropping all he was holding, he turned and bolted, not even looking at the snarling, growling wolf as he ran as fast as he could, heart pounding and his mind just _screaming_ at him to get out now run before it gets you run run RUN-

He didn’t even realize he had reached Sakuma’s room until he was being dragged in and sat down, words muffled and not quite reaching his ears. He didn’t know how much time had passed, only that a sudden, unexpectedly soft touch startled him, his vacant, wide-eyed stare now focusing on the tiny figure in front of him.

“Hey- are you back with me now?” Kenya finally managed to give a weak nod as he sniffled, not taking his eyes away from his friend. Doumen sighed, his worried gaze softening as he pushed himself on the bed, taking a seat next to him and gently patting his arm. “Good, you really freaked us out there- even Sakuma looked scared.”

“… Sorry…” that… really didn’t go well. And now he had just worried everyone. Just great.

“It’s fine, you couldn’t help it- I’m just glad you’re doing better now.” He sort of swung his tiny legs over the edge of the bed, glancing at his friend every once in a while. Just to make sure he wasn’t having another panic attack. Kenya appreciated that.

“What… what happened anyways?” With the whole panic attack thing going on he just wasn’t really all that focused on what was going on- not as much as he was into running away and getting to safety. Doumen made a face in answer. That… wasn’t a good sign.

“I don’t know for sure- Sakuma just suddenly knocked on my door, told me you needed help so I had to come while he took care of something. He hasn’t told me anything else, but when I walked in you were… well, not really here. Sounded like you were talking about a wolf or something like that- I’m not really sure, honestly. It was bad, though.”

“… Oh.” That made sense. Probably.

The quiet and peace only lasted for a few more seconds. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind, his ears now perking up, his tail suddenly still.

“Wait- what did Sakuma say he went to do?”

“Just that he had to take care of something, why?” Before Doumen could even finish, Kenya was back on his feet and rushing towards the door. “W-wait-! What are you doing?!” Doumen quickly hopped out of the bed, clinging to his sleeve as soon as he caught up to him.

“I-I have to stop Sakuma- I was the one panicking and running away, that wolf didn’t do anything!” By then, Doumen was just being dragged by a very worried Kenya, still clinging to his sleeve in his vain attempts to stop him.

“W-what are you talking about?!”

“I shouldn’t have run- I got him in trouble!” Despite Doumen’s weight, he still tried to walk as fast as possible, frantically looking through the hallways to find either of them before it was too late.

Finally, he found Sakuma crouched next to the wolf with his back turned to them, whispering something to him. Doumen now had stopped tugging on his sleeve, his grip slack as he stared at the wolf for the first time. Kenya just realized that he wasn’t sure what to do now- he was still somewhat panicked to even think this through before rushing out of the room in the first place. Not his brightest moment.

The wolf was keeping his head low, too much like a kicked puppy for comfort. Something shifted uncomfortably in his stomach at the sight- why should a wolf his size be acting that way when someone was just talking to him…? When he could just as easily rip someone apart with his fangs and get away with it? Even if that’s not what he would do, he looked threatening enough to be left alone. It didn’t feel right. Remembering how he looked like when Sakuma brought him in, covered in blood –likely his own- and feverish, didn’t make him feel better.

As soon as he noticed them, the wolf’s ears perked up, his fur standing and his tail hiding between his legs. He looked ready to bolt, all will to fight that might’ve been left gone.

“Hey- hey, it’s alright- Koujirou, look at me.” That seemed to work, the wolf- Koujirou looking up at Sakuma, even if he still looked as tense as before. “It’s alright- no one here will hurt you, I promise. Come on, you messed up all your bandages, I need to make sure you didn’t get yourself hurt or opened any injury.” He quickly glanced at them, concern in his eye and a silent plead to leave him alone for now, that they would be talking later. With a slow nod, Kenya turned to leave, Doumen still refusing to leave his side. They only took another quick glance at Sakuma gently ushering the wolf away before leaving.


	7. 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> forgive me for i am committing such a terrible sin on Sakuma's bday my update schedule refused to go easy on everyone involved

After taking care of the wolf, Sakuma had no choice but to explain a few things, if anything to at least let them understand how delicate the situation was.

As much as he tried to keep details out, there was more than enough to make Kenya feel like throwing up. Despite his clear attempts to stay calm, even Doumen looked quite disturbed. He didn’t need to think much to decided that talking to Koujirou was in order, at least to get an apology out for his overreaction.

And that’s how he decided to drag Doumen along, more for emotional support than anything else. Not like he minded much- if anything he might’ve insisted on coming along himself if Kenya didn’t ask first. He still wondered how he managed to make such a great friend. His support was really appreciated once they found themselves staring at the room’s door, that’s for sure.

Hesitantly, Kenya knocked on the door, exchanging a worried glance with Doumen. He debated whether or not to knock again, already thinking it would be best to leave, worry rising the more time passed. He just wanted to apologize for the other day, but what if he was just pushing it? What if Koujirou didn’t want to see them? What if this just made things worse? What if-

Right as the worry was starting to devolve into anxiety and Kenya was ready to just run away again, the door slowly opened before giving him the chance. Koujirou peeked from the tiny crack, warily narrowing his eyes at them.

“Um… hi? I- Well, I just wanted to… talk? And… well, apologize… for running away the other day and all that... I hope you don’t mind…?” He was regretting his decision more and more with each second passed in silence. Eventually, Koujirou stepped back, pushing the door open a bit further. As they opened it completely to step in, they could only hope this wasn’t a mistake.

Once they were all in the room, Koujirou quietly sat on the floor, surrounded by pillows and blankets. Kenya really had to force himself to look away from the corner where the carpet was all gone, deep scratches in the wood underneath, focusing instead on the boy sitting on the floor- even with his unkempt state, he hardly looked any older than either of them. It was hard to keep his eyes away from the exposed skin littered with scars.

Kenya swallowed, almost freezing at the sight. He didn’t want to keep thinking about what happened to him.

“Sorry.” Kenya blinked, quickly glancing at Doumen before looking back at him, sharing a look of confusion.

“W-what?” Koujirou then proceeded to point at himself, like that would make his point much clearer.

“Sorry.” After repeating himself, Koujirou pointed at him. “Scared you.” Another blink. He… Was he really apologizing? For scaring him?

“W-what- you don’t have to apologize for that!” Now he tilted his head in confusion, his eyes narrowing at the raised voice. Kenya quietly sighed, almost wanting to slap himself for being so close to screaming- this was already being harder than he expected for all the wrong reasons. “Listen- I’m the one sorry, alright? I overreacted and I didn’t mean to-”

“No.”

“What?” Koujirou just shook his head.

“Everyone… is afraid. Normal.” As much as he was struggling with his words, Kenya was sure he understood what he meant to say. He wasn’t so sure he was glad to have understood that.

“Afraid… afraid of you?” A nod, looking far too calm for someone confirming that. Looking too used to it, like it had been the only reaction he was used to getting. “Just because you’re a wolf-”

“Dog.”

“… W-what?” The more this conversation went on, the more Kenya wished they had never even started it in the first place. Koujirou pointed at himself again.

“Dog. Me.” Kenya took a sharp breath, Doumen staring between them in deep discomfort. He couldn’t bring himself to ask the question they both were thinking.

“Who… who told you that?” Doumen somehow managed to find his voice and weakly ask, even when he wanted nothing more than to keep quiet and never think about this conversation ever again. Neither of them were ready to hear the answer.

“… Them.” Gone was the eerie calm with which he spoke before, his tail now curling close to his legs as he looked away, almost like he was trying to hide. That was all they needed to know. Kenya didn’t know what to say, couldn’t even force himself to try, his breath hitching as he took it all in.

“It’s… i-it’s alright.” Doumen was looking between the both of them, trying his best to keep himself calm before things could escalate. It wasn’t an easy task when he didn’t even know what to say, just as lost and horrified as Kenya was. “Y-you’ll be fine here! Sakuma is nice and he tries very hard to help!” He just silently nodded in answer, seemingly having lost all interest in the conversation. They weren’t even sure if he had wanted to speak in the first place, if they didn’t just force him into this. “We… we have to go now- b-but we can come back later if you want!” Koujirou glanced at them, to then give another small nod that looked more forced than willing. Doumen hurried to grab Kenya’s hand and pull him out of the room, barely remembering to close the door before rushing back to his own room.

As soon as they closed the door behind them, Kenya leaned against the wall, already feeling himself shake, trying to just take deep breaths. When he managed to sit down before his legs gave out under him, his sight was already blurred with tears. Doumen was already at his side, sitting next to him and patting his arm in an attempt to help. It took him a while to find his voice again.

“… W-what… what happened t-to him… D-do you think… i-it could’ve happened to m-me too…? I-if I hadn’t… i-if…” He couldn’t even keep talking anymore. Doumen didn’t know what to say, just quietly moving to hug him as he sobbed his heart out. For what felt like hours, they just sat there, Doumen trying to calm him down and comfort him, Kenya trying his hardest to just breathe between choked out sobs.

When he finally felt like he could breathe again and his tears were drying, Kenya looked at his friend, a lost look on his face. He felt too drained to even keep talking.

“D-do you think… t-that Sakuma knows-?”

Doumen didn’t say anything at first, just looking away, not even sure of what to think. For all they knew, Koujirou wasn’t even aware of everything he had just revealed to them in so little words. He could’ve still let something slip to Sakuma, but…

“… I don’t know…” Kenya managed to wipe his face with his sleeve, still sniffling as he tried to fully be in control of himself again.

“… W-we should… we should tell him. J-just in case.”

“Right… You’re right…”

The silence that followed was heavy, everything they just found out still too much to take in. They needed time, to think and let everything sink in before being able to move on and take action.

Neither of them complained about the silence or attempted to fill it with words. They were used to moments like these, sometimes it was all they needed, and Kenya couldn’t be any more grateful for his friend.

Then, Doumen glanced up at his friend again.

“Hey?” Kenya looked at him, his brow furrowing, waiting for him to continue. “Nothing bad will happen to you- I’ll always help you!” The frown on his face was determined.

Despite everything, a faint, wobbly smile made its way on Kenya’s lips.

“Alright… I-I trust you.”


	8. 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno what to say just take this

Sakuma was tense that day, everyone could tell, steering as clear from his path as possible. They all knew the reason for his distress already, still hiding in his room, away from everything and everyone.

When Narukami and Doumen had finally managed to knock on his door, hesitant and almost unwilling to talk, Sakuma already knew something was wrong, an uncomfortable feeling twisting his stomach. When he finally coaxed them into saying whatever they came for, he froze, eye wide, not quite believing them- or wanting to.

Sakuma quickly dismissed them, claiming he had things to take care of. The two were more than happy to take the excuse to leave. He didn’t miss how teary and puffy Narukami’s eyes looked as he hurried to leave. As soon as they left, he dropped on his bed, suddenly feeling drained, his head spinning with the new information.

A dog. As if everything they’d found out so far wasn’t bad enough, they managed to make him think of himself as nothing more than a dog. As much as he tried, he couldn’t get his mind off that dark trail of thoughts, couldn’t stop mulling over the same question that he was growing to hate more and more by the second.

How long had he been trapped in that hell with those bastards to break him like this?

Just thinking of the possible answers was making him sick, making him want to throw up.

He had to keep talking to Koujirou. It might not be much, but if it could help make him feel more at ease and welcome, less trapped than he had already been, then he would gladly do it.

* * *

The next day, Sakuma gently knocked on his door as usual, tray in hand as he waited. Like he was slowly getting used to in the last days, Koujirou opened the door, peeking out to see who it was before fully opening it and allowing Sakuma to step in. Once inside, Sakuma moved to sit on the bed, leaving the tray next to him. Koujirou was already sitting on the floor, not even considering the possibility of using the bed.

“Hey… you can sit on the bed if you’d like. It’s more comfortable than the floor…” He tried his best to keep his voice soft, to make it sound just like a suggestion instead of a command- he’s probably heard enough of those already. Koujirou just tilted his head, staring at him with a quirked eyebrow and a flick of his tail, much like a puppy unsure of what he was being told. “I’m serious- you can use it. It’s yours.” And he patted the empty spot next to him for emphasis.

For a while, they just sat there, staring at each other, waiting for the next move. Koujirou was frowning, looking between him and the bed, as if he was still trying to figure out whether or not Sakuma was telling the truth. He still wasn’t moving from his spot on the floor either. After what must’ve been at least a few minutes, Sakuma softly sighed, slowly standing up. Koujirou’s ears perked up, almost alarmed at the sudden movement- immediately getting up himself, just to stop him from leaving. Sakuma blinked, staring at him and the way he was now blocking his path. He could hear it perfectly clear. Koujirou’s frantic heartbeat.

“H-hey- it’s alright, I’m not leaving…” he just hoped that was the right thing to say, still not hearing his heartbeat calming down. If it was fear, panic or something else, he couldn’t tell for sure. Eventually, he slowly sat down once again, his eye not leaving Koujirou.

After some awkward fiddling with the hem of his shirt, Koujirou slowly –almost apprehensive- sat next to him on the bed, every muscle in his body tense and ready to make him jump out of it. Even after a few minutes passed and nothing happened, he still couldn’t quite get himself to relax and be at ease. Like just being allowed to sit on a bed was something completely foreign to him.

Sakuma tried to get his mind off it, reaching out to take the tray and rest it on his lap, offering Koujirou a plate of meat.

“Are you hungry? Here, I brought you something.” With a bit more hesitance than usual, Koujirou accepted the plate, trying to focus on it rather than the other plate on the tray. Not like the way his eyes strayed to it was lost to Sakuma.

“Sorry, I was a bit hungry too- do you mind if I eat here? With you?” Koujirou quickly shook his head, already too busy digging into his own plate to care too much. With a soft nod and a quiet thanks, Sakuma picked up his freshly cut meat to feed himself- he always preferred the blood from recent preys.

For a while, they sat there in silence, Sakuma carefully sucking all the blood out of his piece of meat, Koujirou chomping down on his own food almost in a rush. As he wiped his mouth with a napkin, Sakuma just watched him finish, leaving his own plate back on the tray.

“Hey…” Koujirou glanced at him mid chewing, the only sign that he had his attention. “… do you know what you are? What your kind is?” Koujirou suddenly stopped chewing, swallowing hard and looking away.

“… Dog?” He didn’t sound so convinced anymore, unlike the last time he had told anyone. Sakuma really hoped it was a good thing.

“No- you’re not a dog. Even if that’s what they told you.” Koujirou now turned to look at him, even more lost than before. “Have you ever heard… of a werewolf?” He shook his head. Sakuma took a deep breath, preparing himself to explain, weakly hoping that it wouldn’t be too much. “A werewolf is someone like you- someone that looks human and can turn into a wolf at will. Yours is a very powerful kind. Do you understand that?”

Koujirou was quiet at first, seemingly deep in thought, like he was trying to wrap his mind around all this new information. Right as Sakuma was starting to worry of having overwhelmed him, Koujirou finally looked up at him again.

“… Not a dog?”

“No, you’re not a dog. You’re your own person, even if they didn’t believe that.” He couldn’t even imagine how hard it could be to grasp such a concept after so long having his humanity beaten down over and over- he didn’t even want to think of it.

“Were…wolf…” he was testing the word, as weird and foreign as it sounded coming from him. It took him a few more tries to seemingly get used to it, but he looked more comfortable with it. “… Not a dog… a werewolf…” he turned to Sakuma expectantly. Was he waiting for approval…?

“Yes- werewolf. That’s what you are, like Kenya. Remember him?” His ears perked up at the confirmation, his tail trying very hard not to wag. At the name, however, he tilted his head in confusion. Did Kenya really forget to give him his name…? “The other werewolf- the one that came to talk to you the other day with Doumen- his small vampire friend.” Now recognition flashed in his eyes.

“He… werewolf?” Another nod. Koujirou was quiet once again, processing this new information, nodding as he was seemingly satisfied with it, his tail slowly swishing behind him. “Werewolf.”

“Yes. You can ask if you have any question, alright? I’ll do my best to help.” Even if being a vampire didn’t make this that much easier. He could always try asking Kenya, but with him not being born as a werewolf it might still make things hard… “Actually… can I ask you something?” Koujirou quickly nodded, now more willing to speak than before. Sakuma only hoped he actually had an answer to his question. “Were you… born like this? As a werewolf? Or did one bite you?”

“Was always one.” He sounded convinced enough to believe him- that would explain his massive size as a wolf too, being a seemingly pureblood werewolf. There was more Sakuma wanted to ask, more he wanted to know about him and about his life before the humans… but maybe it wasn’t the right time.

“I see… You should be proud of that, you know?” Koujirou was once again tilting his head in confusion. Maybe Sakuma did introduce him to a lot more new things than what he was prepared to deal with. “Your kind is very strong. You can feel proud of who you are.”

Then, without thinking, Sakuma gently reached out to take his hand.

They both froze as soon as he brushed Koujirou’s hand, his eyes wide and his body tense.

“F-fuck- I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” faster than he reached out, Sakuma retreated his hand, still cursing himself. He just had to go and do something like that without thinking, didn’t he? After how long it took to convince him to just let him treat all his injuries? After how hard it was to build even the smallest scrap of trust with the years of pain he still was enduring? How could he be so damn stupid to just-

Just as he was ready to get up in a hurry and rush out still spewing out apologies, Sakuma felt a warm hand touching his own. Koujirou was looking away, still as tense as before… but he was trying to touch him- Sakuma really hoped it was him trying and not feeling obligated to.

He quietly exhaled, looking down at their hands.

“… You… you don’t mind…?” A quick nod. Silently hoping it was the right thing, Sakuma slowly, hesitantly moved his hand, carefully taking Koujirou’s as if it was made of glass. A pause to look up at Koujirou, and when he didn’t seem to react badly to it, Sakuma gave his hand the weakest squeeze, his thumb gently tracing circles in his palm. Eventually, he felt Koujirou slowly relaxing- even if he was still a bit on edge, he didn’t lash out or try to push him away, his tail back to lightly swaying in the air. If he squinted, Sakuma could swear there was a very faint, barely noticeable smile on his face.

When Sakuma peeked into the room early the next day, he found a tangled mess of blankets and pillows on the bed, half of the messy tail barely poking out, Koujirou still fast asleep. He closed the door as quietly as possible.


	9. 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look it's an update  
> Please leave a comment and a kudo if you'd like! It helps a lot

“Do you want to see the rest of the castle?”

The question was sudden, something that just came to Sakuma’s mind as he watched Koujirou eat. He rarely left his room- if at all. He had to be restless after being stuck in the same place for so long, right…?

Koujirou perked up at first, suddenly interested in his suggestion- only to then deflate almost as fast, looking away as he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. He was developing a tendency of doing that whenever something bothered him and he wasn’t sure if he could even bring it up. It was one of the many things Sakuma silently promised they would work on for his sake.

“What’s wrong? We don’t have to do that if you don’t want to…” It was something Sakuma had learned about him overtime. If it was something those humans had pressured him into or it was just part of how he was, Sakuma wasn’t sure, but Koujirou had a tendency of keeping everything to himself in his attempts to please others, they quickly found out when one day he refused to tell a very excited Kenya to leave, even when he had been trying to talk for too long and just wanted to rest. Reminding him that he could refuse was still necessary to make him understand that he could voice his own needs and decisions.

“We…?” Sakuma blinked.

“Of course- I wouldn’t leave you to do something like that alone. Unless you want to, of course.” He quickly shook his head in answer, taking Sakuma’s hand a bit tighter than he should’ve- he still wasn’t realizing his own strength either. As long as he didn’t accidentally break any bones, it would be alright. “So… do you want me to show you around? You’ll be able to go wherever you want once you know the castle.”

“… Yes.” He almost nodded, stopping himself to speak. Even with body language being the easier option after years not being allowed to speak, he was still pushing himself to improve with what he had become unfamiliar with. Sakuma couldn’t help the soft, proud smile on his face.

“Alright then- let’s go.”

Despite all his efforts, it was still taking him a while to get used to comfortably moving around as a human- which still included walking too much. Sakuma was ready to help him as soon as they stepped out of the room, but Koujirou stubbornly shook his head, leaning against the wall instead. He wanted- needed to do this on his own. Sakuma was still trying to stay as close as possible, just in case he ended up needing help. They were walking a bit too slow, but Sakuma didn’t mind, patiently walking alongside him as he pushed himself along the wall.

The castle was in good condition despite its age, well taken care of. It was still a fairly big place, though. Sakuma knew there was no way they could get through it in one day, not only because of its size- he was more concerned over overwhelming Koujirou by trying to get it all done at once. At least it was a good excuse to get him out of his room and walking more often. He seemed to be enjoying the improvised tour too, so that counted as a win in Sakuma’s book.

It was during one of those days that they found the library, the smell of old paper and ink heavy in the air, enough to make Koujirou scrunch his nose as he peeked into the room, his vague disgust at the thick smell slowly fading into confusion and a hint of curiosity as he stepped in, Sakuma quickly following. He was soon greeted by the sight of Koujirou holding a book in his hands, tilting his head as he opened it and squinted at the pages.

“Be careful with that- some of these are very old, they can break easily.” Koujirou glanced at him before nodding, doing his best to be careful as told, hesitantly flipping the pages like they were something undecipherable riddle. “What is it? Never seen a book before?” Sakuma meant that as a bit of a joke… but Koujirou was still looking at the words on the pages like they were something foreign. Something he couldn’t understand.

“Yes, but… I don’t understand.” Without waiting for an answer, Koujirou closed the book, glancing at the other ones lined up on the shelves to make sure he was putting it back correctly, to then turn and quickly walk back to the door, waiting for Sakuma to follow.

Before leaving, Sakuma took a quick glance at the shelf. The book was upside down.

He couldn’t take his mind off it even as they walked through the halls and back to his room.

* * *

The next day, Sakuma went to knock on Koujirou’s door as usual, waiting to be allowed in… only to be met with silence after a minute or so. A few more hesitant knocks and he slowly opened the door. The room was empty.

A bit more distressed than he would’ve ever showed, Sakuma started going through what they had already seen of the castle, room by room, hoping he was just lost or something like that, dreading the thought that he could’ve left while no one was looking- and then he stepped into the library, finding a few books on the floor, piled and threatening to fall. Sitting in a corner, Koujirou was crossing his legs, squinting at the book in his hands.

“… Koujirou?” Despite his soft voice, Koujirou was startled, looking up as his ears dropped like a puppy caught in the middle of tracking mud all over the house. “What are you doing?” Sakuma already had a fairly good idea of what he was trying, but he had to make sure beforehand.

“… Reading.” He was already looking away, still looking like he was caught in the middle of starting trouble. So he was right.

“You can ask for help if you need it. Don’t feel ashamed for needing help.” Now he was pouting. How could such a scary looking wolf look so cute as well was beyond him.

“But I can…” he quickly went quiet, either not finding the words or too ashamed to affirm what he knew to be a lie. Sakuma stepped closer, carefully moving the books so they wouldn’t be in the way before sitting down next to him. His hand was already taking Koujirou’s, something he had soon learned could so easily reassure his worries.

“I know you can do it, but sometimes you need help too. And that’s okay.” A few moments later, and Koujirou was pushing the book on his lap.

“… Show me.” Sakuma quietly nodded, getting comfortable in his spot to start reading. He wasn’t exactly sure on how he would manage to help a werewolf learn how to read, but they would figure it out- at least he hoped so. Koujirou was paying close attention as he listened to him, a hand still clutching his and his chin resting on Sakuma’s shoulder to comfortably take a peek at the book.

Sakuma didn’t mention how it was the first time Koujirou did more than just touching his hand.

* * *

Reading together in the library quickly became a new habit. When Sakuma couldn’t find Koujirou in his room, he headed towards the library, already finding him sitting there as he tried to go over a book by himself, still stubborn despite how quickly he would accept Sakuma’s help as soon as it was offered. Even if his progress with reading wasn’t as fast as he would’ve liked it to be, the reading sessions were doing wonders for his speaking skills, every word he didn’t remember quickly explained, muttering to himself until he was sure he got it right.

Sakuma didn’t even realize he was starting to lean on Koujirou’s shoulder mid reading, just quietly resting against it when it had already been a while since they started. Seeing the wonder and excitement shining in his eyes after trying to keep everything inside for so long warmed Sakuma’s heart.

“Do you get this part now?” Koujirou quickly nodded, tail nearly wagging in excitement. “Alright, that’s probably enough for today- you should rest.” Now he was pouting. Sakuma closed the book anyways, getting up to put it back in its place. “Come on, I’ll go hunt what you want, is that fine?” A nod. That was good enough.

As he was looking around to make sure everything was in order before leaving, Sakuma felt a tug on his hand.

“… Jirou?” Sakuma blinked, already staring at him. It was usual for him to call him by his name…

“What is it?”

It took him a moment to gather his thoughts. Sakuma just waited patiently, gently tracing circles on his hand to reassure him.

When Koujirou looked up at him, there was a smile on his face, soft, small, but genuine. It was the first time Sakuma ever saw him smiling.

“Thank you. For everything.”


	10. 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uuuh just take it and let me know if you like it please

Koujirou was putting in so much effort to make progress since the first time they stepped into the library. Even when they had left it for the day, Sakuma could find a few books missing from the shelves, only to find then later laying around in Koujirou’s room, more often than not in his hands after he had fallen asleep. Sakuma would just step closer to gently pull the book from his hands and leave it on the nightstand, to then make sure he was properly covered with the blankets before leaving him to rest. It had become their new habit, Sakuma checking on him while he slept to make sure he was ok. To make sure he was safe and well.

* * *

That day, Sakuma decided to stay and eat together. Koujirou was definitely enjoying his company a lot more compared to the first week, even seeking him or Kenya out when he was getting restless.

He was becoming a lot less reserved too, more open about what he wanted and how he felt- even when he didn’t really say anything, his body language giving everything away, ears twitching, dropping or perking up, tail swaying, curling between his legs or wagging, all going along perfectly with his mood- like right now, his tail happily wagging as he dug into his food.

Sakuma couldn’t help but stare with a soft smile. When his eye fell on his tail, however, he frowned.

“You know, we haven’t really taken care of your fur…” Koujirou glanced at him, silently asking him to elaborate. “You really need a proper bath- I only cleaned up the blood and some of the dirt. And maybe a haircut-”

“No.” He was already on the defensive, weakly glaring at Sakuma as if daring him to betray his trust. “No haircuts.” Sakuma blinked in confusion, staring at the bangs that were nearly hiding his face. He could barely see as it was without having to push them out of the way every few minutes, what was the problem with- oh. Oh.

“Fuck- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you- no one will get scissors near you, alright? I’m sorry-” Koujirou was still somewhat glaring at him, as if judging how much he could trust him on that. How could he be so stupid and not think of this before?

“… Promise?” Sakuma went quiet at that. He had never heard Koujirou ask for a promise before. Never heard him asking to trust someone.

“I promise. You can trust me- I won’t let anyone get a pair of scissors near you. Or any other blade.”

“… Really?”

“Really.” Koujirou still didn’t quite look convinced, but nodded anyways. “… Can you shift to your other form, please? I want to see how you’re doing.” Another nod, more hesitant than before, and Koujirou closed his eyes, took a deep breath and shifted.

Sakuma carefully watched the wolf now standing in front of him. He still looked a bit thinner than what he should be, his fur still hiding the worst of it. Stepping closer, Sakuma raised a hesitant hand to brush his long fur, frowning as he felt his fingers get tangled in the knots.

“I promised we won’t cut it yet, but you need at least a good bath and to get all this untangled. Can we do that at least?” Koujirou looked at him warily, taking some time to think about it before finally nodding. “Alright, come with me then- we’ll get you a bath ready.”

Some time later, and a bathtub was filled with warm water. Koujirou was skeptical as he stared at it, until he dipped his hand in the water, his ears perking up as he felt it, immediately dipping both his arms in up to his elbows. Sakuma had to try very hard to hold back a giggle.

“So you like it this way?” Koujirou now eagerly nodded. “I’ll leave you to it, then- just open the door and call if you need anything, I’ll be waiting outside.” With that, he quickly left the bathroom. He already suspected that Koujirou would greatly appreciate having some privacy for once.

Once outside, Sakuma sat on a chair, opened a book and got comfortable to wait. He was going to let Koujirou take as much time as he wanted- he would definitely need it. An hour later without seeing Koujirou step out, and he was very glad to have thought of bringing a chair and a book. He was really taking his sweet time to get out of there, it made Sakuma wonder when he was last allowed to just… relax and feel at ease. He quickly shoved that thought aside.

Some time later, the door finally opened, a dripping wet wolf stepping out of the bathroom, puddles accumulating at his feet.

“… Was that enough of a bath for you?” Not like he needed to ask, really, Koujirou looked pretty happy with himself despite the mess he was making. Sakuma barely managed to hide his book into the safety of his shirt before the very messy wolf decided that it would be a good idea to shake himself dry tight there and then. At least the book was safe. “Alright… how about we just get you properly dried off now?”

Turns out, drying a wolf with thick, messy and tangled fur was not as easy as he would’ve liked it to be. Sakuma wasn’t sure how many cloths they had gone through in the process, the pile growing bigger as more and more completely drenched cloths were added to it. At some point he had to roll up his sleeves to salvage his poor shirt. Koujirou was starting to look pretty guilty over the mess he had made too, constantly glancing at him like expecting a scolding at the very least.

“Don’t worry about it- it’s just water, we can clean it up.” And he reached out to pat his head in an attempt to further calm him down. And froze as he realized how his hand was suddenly resting right on top of his head and between his ears, having moved before even thinking of it. “S-sorry- I didn’t-” he was already retiring his hand as Koujirou stared at him. While he was internally going over just how stupid he was and how much he was screwing up lately, he felt a wet snout pushed against his hand. Eventually, Koujirou managed to slide his head under his hand, a low whine as his ears dropped. With a soft sigh, Sakuma hesitantly patted his head once again. Koujirou didn’t move away.

Sakuma had to wonder how long he had waited for a gentle touch.

“… Let’s go brush your fur now, alright?” He nodded a bit in answer. Sakuma stood up to drop all the wet and dirty cloths in the bathroom, making a mental note of cleaning that up later, to then gesture at Koujirou to follow. Inside his room, Sakuma started looking for a brush, stopping once he saw the wolf getting comfortable in bed. “… You’re gonna get it… never mind, I guess it’s a good time to change your sheets.” Sitting on the bed next to him, Sakuma quickly got to work.

It was a slow and painful process, Sakuma constantly apologizing whenever the brush got tangled in a particularly nasty knot, his free hand quickly moving to gently scratch behind his ears and calm him down. Whenever Koujirou tensed up, the kind gesture calmed him down enough to let him continue.

By the end of it, Koujirou hadn’t growled at him once.

“Alright, you can shift back now.” But before, Koujirou stretched and yawned, sitting up on the bed and taking his time before shifting. Sakuma was quick to hand him a pair of pants and let him put at least those on. “We should be brushing your hair too now, just in case.”

“Fiiine.” Koujirou was pouting, but crossed his legs on the bed and allowed Sakuma to continue. At least the hair was much quicker to take care of than all his fur, tying it up in a low ponytail to help him keep it out of the way for the time being. Getting to look at him without finding a bruise or a scrap in plain sight made Sakuma feel far more at ease, the slightly more serious injuries no longer needing to be bandaged. He was healing, he was getting better despite his scars.

Then, his eye fell on the oddly shaped scar.

Koujirou must’ve noticed his sudden stare, hiding it with a hand and shifting just enough to keep it out of sight, looking around for something to put on. Sakuma handed him the first shirt he could find, more concerned over his discomfort than anything else.

“It’s alright… you don’t have to hide. I won’t judge you for the pain you had to go through…” Then, he offered his hand. Koujirou didn’t hesitate to take it, the gentle contact already helping to put him more at ease.

“… Thank you.” After a while, he let go of Sakuma’s hand to carefully slip on the shirt, making sure the worst of his scars were well hidden. Even with the fabric now hiding everything, he stared down at the place where that scar was, as if it was still perfectly clear and visible. It probably was for him, a permanent reminder of what he has lived through.

“You know… if you ever need to talk… or need any help, I’m here- I’ll be here for you whenever you need it, alright?” For a moment, Koujirou just stared at him in mild confusion, to then flash him one of his smiles.

“… I know. Thank you.”

Sakuma could really get used to such a warm sight.


	11. 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't know what to say here now so enjoy this! i hope

That day had been surprisingly uneventful, nothing really worth of notice happening. Koujirou was still trying to read by himself, getting out and walking around all without asking for help, either out of his own sheer stubbornness or uneasiness at even thinking of bothering anyone for help.

In any case, Sakuma was feeling better looking at all the progress they had made, at how far they had gone from the unkempt, bleeding wolf that kept trying to hide and threaten anyone into leaving him alone. He was really starting to feel as though things would only be getting better now, as hard as it was to think that at first, as much as he expected everything to spiral further and further out of control for the worst.

Then, Sakuma was woken up by a sudden scream.

Within seconds, he was out of bed, running out of the room and into the halls in the direction of the scream. His heart sank when he realized it came from Koujirou’s room.

He didn’t think twice before barging into the room, almost slamming the door open in the process. In the bed, Koujirou was curled up on his side, shaking like he was standing in the middle of the coldest storm, breath heavy and quick like he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs, eyes wide and unfocused, not quite realizing where he was.

It was possibly one of the worst nightmares Sakuma ever had to witness. It was also the first time he ever witnessed Koujirou have a nightmare.

Swallowing hard, Sakuma forced himself to move closer, completely lost as he watched Koujirou. How could he help when just touching him was likely to make him snap?

Somehow, he managed to find his voice, to weakly speak up, hoping that Koujirou could hear him through his night terrors.

“H-hey- it’s alright, it was just a nightmare! I promise, you’re safe now, no one is here to hurt you.” Koujirou was still trapped in whatever nightmare he just had, breath ragged and claws digging into the pillows and sheets, delicate fabric tearing under the pressure. “Please- listen to me, Koujirou-”

Hearing his name is what finally got a reaction out of him. Koujirou hesitantly looked up, eyes widening when he recognized Sakuma, like he was expecting to see someone else.

“… S-Sakuma…?”

“It’s me… how are you feeling? That… didn’t look good…” It was an understatement, really. Koujirou carefully sat up on the bed, taking a deep breath.

“I’m… I’m fine…” He was lying, Sakuma could tell. He didn’t mention it, figuring Genda would need some time to calm down before feeling like admitting it. When he finally realized there were claw marks on his bed that weren’t there before, he paled.

“Hey- look at me, please-” Sakuma reached out to take his hand, wary of his reaction- last thing he wanted was to make him feel worse. “It’s fine. You didn’t do this on purpose, so don’t feel guilty about it.”

“But…”

“I said it’s fine- don’t worry, it’s not the worst that has happened here.” Koujirou frowned, still not convinced, but there wasn’t much he could against Sakuma’s stubbornness. Still not letting go of his hand, Sakuma turned his gaze to the damaged sheets to inspect them closely, tracing them with his free hand. Koujirou couldn’t help but look away at that, feeling the heat creeping on his cheeks in shame. “It doesn’t look like anything serious, we can fix this later. Do you feel like going back to sleep now?”

“… Maybe… No…” He needed some time after that, nothing else. Sakuma frowned anyways.

“Alright then- I’ll keep you company.” Koujirou absently nodded. Then, he realized what Sakuma said, blinking and staring at him in disbelief.

“W-wait- You don’t- have to stay-! I’m fine, really…” Sakuma sat down on the bed anyways, ignoring his weak glare.

“Don’t lie to me. Besides… I want to.” And so he ignored all the protests, just watching and waiting. Koujirou really had to hold himself back from physically taking him out of the room.

“Don’t need company- I’m fine.” Sakuma softly sighed, still refusing to get up. Koujirou was awfully stubborn when he wanted to- especially when it came to letting anyone else help him. Sakuma could only hope this wasn’t him believing he still didn’t deserve it.

“Well, I do want some company then- and I’m already sitting here, so…” It was a terrible excuse and an even worse lie, really. Koujirou was still glaring at him, very annoyed by his stubbornness.

Sakuma wasn’t budging. Koujirou sighed.

“Fine…” After finally admitting defeat, Koujirou plopped down on the bed, curling on his side and burying himself in the blankets.

Sakuma didn’t move from his seat, watching the bundle of blankets and fur lying next to him. Some time later, and he couldn’t see or hear any difference. Koujirou was still awake, then.

“… What’s wrong?” Koujirou wasn’t moving. If it was because he thought he could trick Sakuma into thinking he was asleep, Sakuma wasn’t sure. With a soft sigh, he gently put a hand on the blankets, hoping he had found Koujirou’s shoulder and giving it a soft squeeze. “You can tell me, remember? I’m here for you.”

“… Can’t sleep.” So he was right.

“Is it because of the nightmares?”

“… Yes…” It felt better knowing that he was finally admitting it rather than keep stubbornly trying to hide it. That counted as progress for something, right? He hoped so.

Sakuma didn’t reply, just quietly slid into the bed and under the blankets. After a bit of hesitation, he made up his mind, carefully wrapping his arms around Koujirou from behind. For a moment, he tensed in his arms, managing to calm down before Sakuma started apologizing and let go. He barely turned his head enough to look at him, worry and confusion in his eyes.

“… What…?” Seeing him so puzzled at the simple idea of being given affection was making his heart ache.

“Does this help?” Koujirou went quiet, not knowing what to say. After a bit of time thinking, he slowly nodded, shifting a bit in his arms to get more comfortable and make sure his tail wouldn’t be crushed between them. “Good… I’m glad. You can go back to sleep now, alright? I’m here with you, I’ll make sure nothing hurts you again.”

After a while just silently nuzzling into the hug, Koujirou was finally dozing off, barely keeping his eyes open, still not quite sure of going back to sleep. Sakuma moved a hand to gently pet his messy hair and scratch behind his ears, feeling them twitch under his fingers.

“Sleep well, you’re not alone anymore.”

It didn’t take much longer for Koujirou to fall asleep, his breath evening out. Sakuma didn’t move from his spot, still holding him close, getting more comfortable to sleep beside him.

Hours later, Sakuma was the first to wake up, Koujirou still peacefully snuggled in his arms as he slept. He definitely wasn’t going to wake up any time soon. Sakuma wouldn’t be budging until he did either.

When Koujirou finally stirred and lazily opened an eye with a yawn, he leaned a bit more against Sakuma, nuzzling him and closing his eye again, ready to go right back to sleep. Then, realization hit him. His eyes immediately opened, nearly head-butting Sakuma in the process of fully waking and sitting up on the bed, staring at him in shock and disbelief.

“Y-you- w-what-” saying he was at a loss for words was an understatement.

“What? You needed the company and I was sleepy, so I stayed here with you.” However, Sakuma had to admit that his reaction was starting to worry him, already feeling the guilt build up. Maybe Koujirou was just too tired and panicked to realize what he was doing, what he was allowing Sakuma to do. What if he had made him uncomfortable? Or worse?

Then, Koujirou slowly, hesitantly inched closer to him, carefully wrapping his arms around him, sighing in relief as he held him a bit closer. Sakuma took a while to realize what happened. Koujirou was hugging him- Koujirou was comfortable enough to start a hug.

“… Thank you.” Sakuma blinked, looking at him as he realized what was happening, returning the hug before letting him think that he had done something wrong.

“For what?”

“You used my name. They never did.”

“… Oh.” He was at loss for words- what could you even say knowing that someone hadn’t even been called by his own name for years? “… You… You’re welcome- I’m glad to help…”

He quietly cursed himself for not thinking about this before. For not realizing just how deeply Koujirou’s pain was rooted, how much their actions were still hurting him, still haunting him even when it was all over. He wondered how many nightmares Koujirou had already dealt with on his own, how many nights he had managed to hide the screams and pain, trying to calm himself down, to reassure himself just enough to drive the panic away.

Without realizing it, Sakuma was holding him a bit closer, a bit tighter, as if that could be enough to take away all his pain. He knew it would never be enough, it would never completely go away, but he would try. He would try anything he could to help him now, no matter what.


	12. 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's one of my favorite scenes to write 👀

Koujirou was still having nightmares, even if not as frequent as Sakuma expected them to be. It wasn’t easy, but they were trying to find a way to deal with them.

Sometimes, Sakuma didn’t realize he had a nightmare until it was too late. He’d find Koujirou more tired than usual, his rare smiles more forced and his whole body tense, ears always alert and twitching, looking for the slightest sign that it was time to run. He always hated seeing him like that, trying so hard to act like he was fine when he was one touch away from lashing out and falling apart. On some occasions, he just needed some time to himself, deciding to isolate himself either in the library or in his own room. Sakuma learned quickly to leave him alone- if he wasn’t seeking him out, he didn’t need to be bothered. If he wanted to, he would look for Sakuma, doing nothing but staying close to him. Sakuma wasn’t sure how that helped, but if it did, he would gladly let him, sometimes trying to talk him into helping with this or that just to keep him busy. It did seem to slowly help his mood, at least.

On other occasions, Sakuma would manage to catch him in the middle of a nightmare as he went to check on him. He would always sit on the edge of the bed, talking him out of his nightmare, holding him close and whispering soft words of comfort until his heart wasn’t trying to claw its way out of his chest anymore.

He never talked about his nightmares, about what had shaken him so much that it left him a broken, trembling mess. Sakuma never pushed him to, even when he already had a good idea of what it could’ve been about.

* * *

That day, Koujirou hadn’t quite decided whether he needed the company or not, hiding in the library for the time being. Company or not, the books still helped get his mind off things for at least a little bit, still putting too much focus on reading to make sure he was understanding everything. Some words were still escaping him, but at least the context tended to be enough to allow him to get a general idea of what was going on- most of the time. He still needed Sakuma’s help at times.

When the door suddenly opened, Koujirou was startled enough that he almost dropped the book in his hands. When Kenya peeked in, his eyes went wide, his ears dropping.

“Oh- sorry- I didn’t know you were here-” before he could start rambling, Koujirou quickly shook his head.

“It’s fine.” It’s not like the library was his room. “Come in?”

“Oh- alright.” A bit hesitantly, Kenya walked into the room, looking at the pile of books sitting next to Koujirou, whatever he wanted to do quickly forgotten. “What are you reading?” Koujirou squinted at the book, taking some time to think before sighing.

“… Not sure yet.” It was another of the books he’d have to go over with Sakuma later.

“Maybe you should try something else, then? Ah, sorry- I didn’t mean to sound rude or anything…” Koujirou quickly shook his head.

“It’s fine. You’re right.” Maybe he shouldn’t be trying so hard with something he clearly wasn’t understanding that well just yet. Closing the book and leaving it with the rest, Koujirou stood up to look at the shelves again.

As he went through the books on the shelf, Koujirou’s eyes caught a thin, leather bound one hiding among the bigger books. Curiosity taking over, he pulled the book out, already opening it to a random page. Then, he squinted at it, flipping the pages in growing confusion. The small symbols were completely different than what he had grown used to, circles and lines with seemingly no meaning.

“What is this?” Kenya turned at his question, perking up as he looked at the sheets.

“Oh- those are music sheets!” Koujirou stared at him, just as confused as before. “… You know… to play music?” He tilted his head, eyes narrowing at the word.

“… Music?”

“You… don’t know what music is?” Koujirou shook his head. Kenya took a deep breath. Of course- how had he not even thought about this before? If he didn’t even know what a book was, how could he know about music? “Alright… do you, um… do you want me to show you?” He quickly perked up at the offer.

“Yes please!”

“Alright- follow me.”

Some time later, and the two curious wolves were sneaking into a room, music sheets in hand. The room was fairly large and well kept, with a soft carpet and big, heavy curtains open to let the cool breeze in, but nothing inside it caught Koujirou’s attention as much as the odd object sitting in the middle of the room, bulky, made out of a dark wood and with a weird, curvy shape he had never seen anywhere else before. Noticing his curiosity, Kenya stepped closer to the thing, pulling a stool from under it to sit, lifting the cover to reveal an array of black and white… things. Koujirou really wasn’t sure what to make of those. Or of the entire thing that had a whole room dedicated to it in the first place.

“This is a piano.” Koujirou tilted his head, staring between Kenya and the thing- the piano. He still didn’t quite understand the purpose behind it, but nodded anyways.

“Piano?” Kenya gestured at him to come closer, patting the empty space at his side on the stool to invite him to take a seat.

“I think Sakuma said he always kept this tuned, so…” opening the book with the sheets, Kenya flipped through the pages, looking for something he was already familiar with. Koujirou watched carefully his every movement, observed closely as he settled for a specific sheet, propping the book up in front of him as he took a deep breath.

Koujirou perked up at the sudden sound coming from the piano, something soft and soothing that he had never heard before, strange and almost dream-like. His ears twitched at every change in the pitch, his tail gently swaying behind him as it followed the rhythm. Right at that moment, he felt more at peace than he had in a long time, silently holding his breath as he listened, almost afraid that just that would be enough to disrupt such a beautiful sound.

Even when Kenya was done, Koujirou still didn’t want to say anything, as if it would somehow break the spell that had fallen upon the room.

“S-so… did you like it?” As much as he tried to act nonchalant about it, he was trying very hard to keep his hands still- not like it helped when his tail did the job for him.

“Yes, it’s nice…” for the first time, Kenya actually got to see one of his rare smiles, soft and genuinely, looking far more at ease than their first awkward talk in that room.

“I’m glad! Sakuma taught me, you know? But he’s way better than me at this! You should really listen to him playing the piano!” So that’s what they called it?

For a moment, all Koujirou did was stare at the piano, polished black and white smooth and cold as he hesitantly ran his fingers over it. Despite his worry over possibly ruining such a beautiful thing, Koujirou pressed down on it with his fingers, ears perking up as he only heard chaotic noise, the beauty of mere moments ago completely gone. With a frown, he pressed again and again, growing frustrated as it didn’t turn out like he expected.

“Hey- that… that’s not how you play it.” He stopped in the middle of yet another failed try, turning to Narukami in confusion.

“How?” He wanted to keep listening to it.

Kenya just awkwardly glanced at the sheet in front of him, then back at the piano.

“Well… you’re doing it wrong- I mean, you need to press the keys to play it, but not like that-” he sighed, tail flicking. “I’m bad at explaining this… we’d be better off asking Sakuma about this…” Koujirou frowned, not quite happy with that, but nodded in answer. It wasn’t like he could force Kenya to teach him something he had no idea how to teach.

“… Can we ask?”

“Sakuma? Why not? I’m sure he’ll be glad to show you!”

And that was how a few minutes later, Sakuma found himself dragged into the piano room by a very excited Koujirou, Kenya trailing behind them. Admittedly, of all the things he could’ve expected to see Koujirou take interest in, music wasn’t really one of them- a silly thought, in hindsight, considering he might’ve never had the chance to listen to it before.

“So… you want to learn?” An eager nod. “Alright… just- be aware, this isn’t easy. Or fast. But if what you want is listening to it, I don’t mind playing for you either.” Just as he was about to get disappointed at the thought of not being able to do something as pretty as they did any time soon, his ears straightened up, tail almost wagging and eyes sparkling. That already was enough of an answer. “Alright, alright- sit down, I’ll find something to play.” Sitting on the stool, Sakuma started flipping through the music sheets. Behind him, Koujirou was getting comfortable sitting on the floor, watching him carefully and waiting patiently for him to start. Kenya was at his side, laying down and taking as much space as he could on the floor.

Once he settled for a song, he rested his fingers on the keys. Then, he started playing.

True to Kenya’s word, Sakuma wasn’t just good at playing- he was amazing, leaving them both breathless just a few notes in. The song he had picked was far more complex than what Kenya had played, nuanced in ways Koujirou couldn’t even begin to describe with his limited knowledge, even more beautiful than he had expected.

Somehow, the music itself wasn’t quite as beautiful as the one playing it.

The breeze flowing in gently ruffled his hair, as elegant and graceful as ever. At some point, Sakuma briefly turned just enough to look at them, letting Koujirou catch a glimpse of a soft smile. He could’ve sworn his heart stopped for a moment, that smile all it took to leave him stunned and speechless, even more than what the piano’s soft tune had managed to do. Some part of him was sure that the faint red now taking over his cheeks wasn’t just because of the beauty of the music.

Somehow, he still managed to stay focused on the music, even when he couldn’t pry his eyes from Sakuma, committing to memory every little detail he could find. The way Sakuma would tuck his hair behind his ear every once in a while. The way his eye lit up when he was happy. The way he mindlessly hummed whenever he was busy doing something. The warmth of his hands when he held him and gently ran his fingers through his hair.

“So, did you like it?” Koujirou blinked, suddenly realizing that Sakuma had stopped playing moments ago, playing with a strand of hair as he glanced at him, not quite looking at him in the eyes, a small, somewhat awkward smile on his face. Shoving those thoughts to the back of his mind, Koujirou quickly nodded, feeling his face still warm and his heart beating a bit faster than usual.

“… It was beautiful.”


	13. 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot what day it was whoops- anyways here's an update, please leave a comment and a kudo?

Kenya was making a genuine effort to get closer to him, Koujirou could tell.

Even not being the best at social cues, he could see how Kenya was actively trying to be around him more often, asking him a thousand questions he never quite knew how to answer and just trying to keep chatting with him. Koujirou still couldn’t quite understand why- didn’t he already have one close friend in Doumen? The two were almost always hanging out together, clearly knowing each other for a long while, so wouldn’t he prefer being around someone he already knew?

He didn’t get it… but it wasn’t as bad as he expected.

At first, he thought the other werewolf would be an annoyance at best or a threat at worst- he couldn’t really remember any werewolf that didn’t actively try to harm him, all of them snarling and biting on sight.

He also knew the humans with their bets and yelled out orders were to blame for that, just more memories he wanted to bury along with the pain.

When Koujirou first met him, he almost considered growling at him, warning him to stay away or _else_. Then, he had smelled it. The fear, the sheer panic and the instinct to run away.

He was scared of him, much like he had been scared of the humans once, long ago. Maybe that’s what pushed him to let the small, scrawny werewolf come closer, even when at times his scent was a tad too mixed with a human’s for comfort. He learned to ignore that soon, anyways, saving the questions for later.

To his surprise, Kenya was… not bad to be around. Even when he was loud and a bit too cheerful, it felt nice, not having someone just pitying him or giving him sorrowful glances, not reminding him of all his scars, visible or not.

Most of the time, Koujirou did nothing but listen to Kenya’s ramblings, admittedly curious over everything he had to talk about, many things he had never heard of before or never quite understood. It was nice, finding out more about the world he had been denied to see for so long. He rarely interrupted, much happier listening than talking himself- when he did speak up, though, it was to ask. To know more about what he was saying.

At first, he didn’t really speak, still trying to find the right words and the right way to string them together. Then, he hesitantly started asking, talking as little as he could, still getting used to such things, as seemingly small as they were.

He wouldn’t admit that part of him still expected the screams that should’ve followed.

At least Kenya didn’t seem to mind his questions, just flashing him a grin before answering at the best of his abilities. When he didn’t know how to answer, he just tried to laugh it off, as awkward as it came off, suggesting to either look it up in their library or ask Sakuma.

There was still one question, however, that Koujirou hadn’t quite managed to bring up, always mulling over it for a while before deciding against it. It should’ve been easy to forget about it, to dismiss it as a stupid question better kept to himself. And that’s what he did- at first, at least.

Eventually, curiosity won, not really letting him push it back anymore.

“… Kenya?” Hearing his name, Kenya cut himself off, tilting his head and dropping an ear with a questioning glance. Koujirou scrunched his nose, taking a deep breath, partly to convince himself that everything was alright, partly to make sure that he really wasn’t making things up. “… You don’t. Smell like a werewolf. Not a lot. Why?”

It was the one thing that was still bothering him about Kenya. He had seen many werewolves over the years, even if he never met any of them under any sort of favorable circumstances. He still remembered their scents, hidden under layers of blood. Kenya smelled a bit like them, but not quite like them either, something else mixed in. As much as he tried, Koujirou just couldn’t put his finger on what exactly it was.

“Oh… Um- yeah, about that…” He let out an awkward chuckle, his ears dropping. Bad move.

“Sorry- don’t answer.” He was already regretting his decision when Kenya shook his head.

“No, no- it’s fine… it was a long time ago, anyways.” With that, he hesitantly rolled up his sleeve. There it was, in plain sight and a clear contrast against his paler skin. A scar on his forearm, big and in a shape Koujirou knew painfully well.

“A bite…?”

Kenya quietly nodded, taking his time to fix his sleeve, the scar once again hidden.

“I wasn’t… born like this. I was bitten when I was a kid… and then I was turned into a werewolf.” He sighed, looking away, unusually quiet. Sore topic.

“Sorry…” That… explained some things. Like the fear he had smelled time ago. Despite the feeling that there was more to his story, Koujirou didn’t ask further. It was enough. “… Are you… afraid?” Kenya immediately looked back at him with a very serious pout.

“What- no!” Koujirou raised an eyebrow. He whined. “… Maybe a little- but it was just when we met! I-I didn’t know you were so big!”

“So… we’re fine?” Now Kenya nodded, looking more at ease than before. That was a relief, at least.

“Yup! We’re friends now! Well- I’d say I’m your first friend, but Sakuma already got that covered.” He absently nodded along, very much relieved that Kenya at least wasn’t holding anything against him. Then, he realized what Kenya had just said.

“… Friends?” Friendship. Someone to trust. They were still foreign concepts to him, as much as he tried to grasp them. And that brought up another question.

Where they really his friends? Could he consider himself a friend?

They were always caring for him, always trying to help, ever since Sakuma had found him. All this time, he thought they were just helping him out of obligation or anything of the sort, more interested in simply letting him physically recover before throwing him back out into the wild.

Or at least that was what he thought, at first. Now? Now he wasn’t so sure anymore. Of anything.

He had grown fond of Sakuma, that was the one thing he didn’t have any doubts about, not anymore. He liked Kenya and Doumen, liked listening to them and eventually watch them bicker. He liked his room, the library and all the books. He liked the music and the piano room.

He liked his newfound life in this castle.

“Yeah- friends! I mean, you’re really cool, all things considered, and we like having you around! So that makes us friends!” Then, he blinked. “W-well- if you want to, of course!” Despite how he was trying to keep up the laid back appearances, Koujirou could see the nerves in his ears, turned back and nearly flat against his head like they were trying to hide.

That… that was the bigger question.

Maybe it was the wrong decision, but… being friends sounded right. He felt like he finally belonged somewhere for once, even if it could end up being just temporary.

Even if it could still be taken away from him one day.

“Yes. We’re friends.” Those words got a smile out of Kenya, one of the biggest and brightest smiles Koujirou had ever seen in his life.

Having friends didn’t sound so bad, after all.


	14. 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have more teikoku to make up for my lack of prompts

“I’ll be back soon, alright? Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”

Koujirou quietly watched, peeking from the corner, as Sakuma pulled a hood over his head, carefully hiding every inch of exposed skin with a cloak and tucked his hands into his gloves. He had woken up to the news that Sakuma was leaving for a while to do something, but as much as he wanted to ask, the group waving goodbye at the doors stopped him.

He knew there were more living in that castle, had caught wind of faint scents whenever he walked through the halls, but other than Kenya and Doumen, he had refused to see anyone else, still not quite ready to deal with more of them. This was hardly the best moment to meet them.

Sakuma was opening the door, ready to walk out, when he turned to look at them all one more time. Eventually, his eye met Koujirou’s gaze, offering him a kind smile as a goodbye. Koujirou hesitantly waved at him, still not happy with seeing him leave, not even knowing where he was going or how long it would be until he finally came back and tempted to just run up to him and cling to his arm to keep him from leaving.

Now, all he could think of is how selfish he was being, not wanting to let him go away like that.

With Sakuma gone, Koujirou turned to leave. There wasn’t really a point in staying around anymore, not when he’d have to talk to all of them and probably answer many more questions than what he’d be ever comfortable with.

“Hey- Koujirou!”

Oh no.

He froze on his steps as soon as he heard his name, barely turning to look behind him and at the group of strangers. Kenya was beaming at him with one of his big, stupid smiles, Doumen looking between him and the rest of their group in alarm and vague disbelief. For a moment, there was a tense, awkward silence lingering over them. Koujirou hadn’t moved from his spot, unsure of what to do- should he try talking to them? He didn’t even know what to tell them.

This could only get worse.

Kenya blinked, staring at him in confusion, now noticing just how tense he looked.

“… What’s wrong? Koujirou?” Doumen tugged on his sleeve with a frown.

“Kenya… he really hasn’t… you know…” he sort of gestured at the rest of their group. Kenya just blinked, staring at his friend, then at the rest of them, until his eyes widened.

“Oh- oh I’m sorry- I-I didn’t mean to-”

Before he could be done apologizing, Koujirou turned and left in a rush, ignoring the cries behind him. He couldn’t deal with all of them just yet.

* * *

Later, Kenya peeked into Koujirou’s room, ears low and cautious about even stepping in.

Koujirou was looking out of the window, his head resting on his arms, ears low and tail curled close to his body. Kenya couldn’t see his face, but he wouldn’t be surprised to know he was pouting.

“Hey… I, uh… I-I’m sorry about earlier… I completely forgot that you haven’t met any of them- a-and I didn’t even think that it might be too much for you yet- I-I’m really sorry about this-!”

“It’s fine.” Koujirou didn’t exactly sound fine… but at least he didn’t sound angry either. Kenya really hoped it was a good sign. Hesitantly, Kenya stepped closer to the bed, sitting on it to watch his –hopefully- friend.

“What’s wrong?”

Koujirou went quiet at the sudden question, not quite ready to lie his way out of this. He didn’t turn to even look at Kenya before answering.

“Sakuma.” Kenya blinked, staring at him. Koujirou didn’t bother to say anything else, still sulking.

“… Do you miss him?”

“Yes.” He didn’t even hesitate to answer. Even when Koujirou was likely older than him, Kenya felt like he was watching a puppy who had just been denied some pets. Not sure of what to do, he just stepped closer to sit on the bed. Maybe keeping him company would be enough- he hoped so, at least.

“… You really like him, uh? But don’t worry, he’ll come back soon.” Well, one or two days wasn’t exactly so soon, but still. “He just needs to check on some friends to make sure everyone is alright- it’s been a while since he last went to see any of them.”

“Why?”

Kenya almost asked if it wasn’t obvious enough as it was. He closed his mouth before he could slip up and actually say it- of course it wouldn’t be as obvious to him, who didn’t even know what having friends was up until a few days ago.

“Well… he’s worried for them. It’s been a while since we last saw… any humans like those… around here.” He didn’t need to say that the fact that they had a werewolf as their hunting dog just made matters all the more concerning. “He just wants to make sure that everyone’s alright. And that they know to keep an eye out for danger and all that.” Koujirou still didn’t look happy with this, but nodded anyways.

“Fine…” There was still something on his mind, Kenya could tell. His patience paid off, Koujirou eventually speaking up again. “… I want him here…”

“He won’t leave you, don’t worry. He’ll come back soon.” It was all Kenya could think of saying, hoping it would help at least a little. Koujirou nodded again, still not looking very happy and still waiting by the window.

That would have to do for now, even if it wasn’t the best answer or one he was happy with. As long as Koujirou was taking it well, there was nothing to worry about.

* * *

The next morning, Koujirou woke up hungry. For a while, he just stayed in bed, partly not willing to get up just yet, partly waiting for Sakuma to come in as usual and- oh, wait.

Groaning, he forced himself to sit up. Right, Sakuma wasn’t back yet. He was on his own for now.

Well, he wasn’t exactly alone, but… would he really be welcome…?

His stomach loudly growled, snapping him out of his thoughts. Welcome or not, food came first. He didn’t know if Sakuma had told anyone to bring him food like he had been doing, but he didn’t want to wait to find out either. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair to them.

When he walked up to the door, he hesitated, still not taking the handle. Was it really alright for him to go there after the last time? What if they didn’t like that…?

His stomach growled again. Sighing, Koujirou opened the door and stepped out.

It almost felt weird, to walk so freely around and just go look for his own food. Just a few weeks ago he wouldn’t have been allowed to even think of eating more than what he had been given. He would’ve been sent to hunt and barely allowed to lick the blood off his fangs as a reward.

He had to shake himself out of those thoughts. He wasn’t a prisoner anymore, he didn’t have to think about that anymore.

Unsure of where to go, Koujirou decided to follow his nose, finding his way around through scent alone. He pushed back his uneasiness when he caught wind of the other scents, reminding himself that they wouldn’t be a threat like any other creature he had met before. It was fine, he told himself, everything would be alright.

Koujirou did his best to act as nonchalant as possible as he walked through the dining room and into the kitchen, focusing on the scent of meat rather than the stares. For a moment, he almost stopped on his tracks, wondering if it was really alright for him to just walk in and take anything out of the kitchen. He quickly pushed that thought aside- Sakuma would just tell him to feel free to take anything he wanted, right? He had no reason to be nervous now, not after already walking all the way there.

Looking around, the first thing he found that caught his attention was the dried meat. He scrunched his nose at the unexpected scents mixed in with the meat, something he only vaguely remembered finding in human meals. Did anyone in the castle really like this…?

With nothing recently hunted in sight, Koujirou didn’t have much choice left- well, not unless he wanted to go out and hunt himself.

It had been so long since he had last gone outside, so much time since he had last ran through the woods, just letting out the excess of energy and enjoying the thrill of the hunt. Just being the wolf he wanted to be, instead of the dog the humans wanted from him.

Maybe another day he would allow himself to run free again. For now, he would wait.

When Koujirou walked out of the kitchen with his meal, a few of the castle’s inhabitants were already in the dining room. Someone looked at him once he heard the footsteps, Koujirou looking away like that would divert the unwanted attention. Apparently they got the hint, not really trying to talk to him or get his attention.

He almost left the dining room, only to stop when he considered sitting down to eat there instead of going back to his room. He was already there… there was no harm in trying, right?

And so he did that, taking up a corner of the table to eat. He could feel someone still glancing at him from time to time, but did his best to ignore it and focus on his food.

Of course, it went to hell as soon as the one who had been staring for a while decided to sit next to him. Koujirou tensed up, holding himself back from growling as a threat, his nose quickly catching on the scent.

Another vampire.

“Hey, uh- so, you’re the latest guy Sakuma decided to bring in, right?” Koujirou glanced at him, still too busy chewing to speak up. While he kept eating, he studied the vampire closely, looking for the slightest sign of danger. There didn’t seem to be any, the vampire still watching him with a very awkward smile that looked more like regret than genuine interest. Eventually, Koujirou nodded in answer. The vampire hardly managed to hide a relieved sigh. “Well… it’s good to see you around- I mean it. We were all pretty worried seeing you when he brought you in, so… it’s nice to know you’re doing better, that’s all.”

Koujirou blinked, swallowing hard and finally turning to him. They were worried? All of them? Even without knowing him?

“… Really?” The vampire quickly nodded.

“You should’ve seen how excited to meet you Kenya was back then- he’s never really befriended another werewolf before- but that’s his story to tell. Uh, anyways- I’m Henmi Wataru, nice to meet you- really, it’s great to finally see you.”

Somehow, Koujirou felt like this guy- Henmi was being even more awkward than him.

“Koujirou. Nice to meet you.” Nodding again, Henmi somewhat awkwardly ran a hand through his hair, like he hadn’t quite managed to put himself at ease after approaching him- not like Koujirou cared that much. At least he was trying.

… He was trying to help him and make him feel a bit more welcome, even when he himself wasn’t entirely at ease and clearly didn’t know what to say. But he cared, he cared enough to try even knowing to expect the worst, not even knowing what would happen. He cared, and that was all Koujirou could think about.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.


	15. 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> insert author notes here because i don't know what to say  
> i tried my best

“-and he was so drunk he completely forgot mirrors were a thing- and he just- he actually ran into the mirror and complained when he couldn’t walk to his bed!” Henmi could barely contain his laughter as he told the story, wheezing as he leaned against the table. He really enjoyed telling that particular story, apparently. Not like Koujirou couldn’t understand why, hardly holding back a laugh himself, already cracking a smile.

To his surprise, Henmi was not as bad as he expected despite the initial awkwardness. The vampire was quite laid back, gladly sharing as many embarrassing stories about Sakuma as he could remember, a bit too eager to ruin his spotless reputation as a smooth and graceful vampire. It hadn’t been too hard, only taking a few stories and anecdotes to forever stain it in Koujirou's eyes, but he would gladly listen to more of them. It was relieving, in a way, knowing his savior wasn’t some untouchable holier figure, not having to feel like he had been committing some terrible sin for simply getting closer to Sakuma, like he still didn’t deserve any of his kindness.

Some time later, a frantic Kenya rushed into the dining room, disheveled and still in his night clothes, clearly having just jumped out of bed. Unsure of what to do, Koujirou awkwardly waved at him, partly to catch his attention, partly to say good morning. Kenya perked up once he spotted him, now more calm as he walked up to him.

“Oh- hey, K-Koujirou- uh, you already ate then…?” A nod and he sighed in relief. “Good… Sakuma told me to make sure you’d eat, but…”

“Slept in again?” Kenya pouted at Henmi, just getting a snicker out of him in answer.

“I tried to wake up earlier-!” Henmi was barely trying to hold back a laugh. Kenya pouted harder, if that was even possible. He still looked too much like an angry puppy to take him too seriously. “S-shut up!”

Their bickering was cut short by a chuckle. With wide eyes, Kenya and Henmi turned their heads, surprise written all over their faces. Koujirou wasn’t just smiling anymore, both hands covering his mouth to stifle his giggles. It was the first time anyone had heard anything close to a laugh coming from him.

When he realized they were no longer arguing, Koujirou stopped, tilting his head in confusion, letting his ears flop to the side.

“What?”

Kenya opened his mouth to talk, when Henmi kicked him under the table.

“N-nothing, don’t worry about it.” He was still confused, a pout on his face as he squinted at them, but after a while he decided to just let it slide. Kenya weakly glared at him, the glance Henmi gave him back enough to leave the matter for later.

A moment later, and Koujirou was getting up from the table under their increasingly confused stares.

“Where are you going…?”

“Bored. Will read.” He didn’t sound as happy anymore. Kenya already had a good idea as to why. Henmi and Kenya just watched him leave the dining room, quick and silent. Once he was gone, Kenya kicked Henmi in the shin, ignoring his pained yelp.

“What was that for?!”

“You were about to say something stupid! Don’t act like seeing him smile or laugh is something so weird- he doesn’t need that!”

“I- I wasn’t-!”

“What’s going on?” Doumen nearly flinched when their attention snapped to him, just catching the end of their argument as he walked in.

“Koujirou giggled.” Doumen’s mouth dropped. “I know, right? And Kenya was about to tell him how weird it was to hear for the first time.”

“I wasn’t-! I just…” he trailed off. Henmi sighed, leaning back on his chair.

“… Sorry, didn’t mean to snap like that…”

“It’s fine… I don’t… I don’t want to hurt him, so… thanks for stopping me…” Even with his bad habit of running his mouth sometimes, the last thing he ever wanted was hurt Koujirou, or make him suddenly feel a bit more self-conscious of things that should feel normal. Kenya still shivered at the memory of the nasty realizations their first conversation had brought up.

There was a moment of awkward silence as the two got over their brief fight. Doumen was just satisfied with seeing them get along, looking around as if in search of someone.

“Where is Koujirou now?”

“He said he was going to read… but…” Kenya sounded a bit too unsure to say anything else. Henmi just raised an eyebrow.

“But what?”

“… Yesterday… he told me that he misses Sakuma. I think he’s lonely now.”

It made sense, after how much he had spent just with Sakuma. He was his anchor, as much as he tried to regain his independency. More than that, Sakuma was his friend, maybe the first he had in a long time- if ever.

“Let’s go find him.” The two turned to Doumen. “I mean- he’s lonely, right? So why not keep him company? He’s already used to Kenya and I- and it would probably be good for him to start getting to meet well everyone else. It’s a good start.”

He did have a point. Leaving him to sulk around until Sakuma was back would likely not be good, so might as well give it a try, right?

* * *

As expected, they found him in the library, sulking over some book he found that he didn’t quite manage to read in its entirety.

“Hey- everything alright?” Koujirou looked up, closing the book and putting it away before nodding. A poor attempt at hiding his struggles, really. Henmi glanced at Kenya, then at Doumen, who just shrugged in answer. So it was a common thing, then.

Kenya, for his part, just decided to happily come closer and sit down at Koujirou's side, leaning over to peek at his books. Henmi was about to stop him, only to shut his mouth when Koujirou didn’t react to the sudden touch. So he was already doing fine with that? Good to know, at least.

“What are you reading?” Without waiting for an answer, Kenya reached out to take the book he had just put away, taking a closer look at the title. “Mmmh… werewolves? Oh- I didn’t even know this was here!”

“Yeah…” Koujirou didn’t seem to mind his intrusion, just letting him take the book as he looked away with a frown. Henmi watched him closely, trying to remember everything Kenya had rambled about from his previous encounters.

“… Do you… do you n- want help with that…?” Koujirou hesitated. Then, he slowly nodded. Henmi moved to sit at Koujirou's other side, looking over his shoulder once Koujirou took the book back from Kenya, Doumen getting comfortable on Kenya’s lap to comfortably look at the book.

With Henmi and Kenya’s help, they were reading the book together. Doumen was happier just listening, occasionally speaking up with his own opinion. They were all asking Koujirou about this or that thing to confirm or deny some details, having plenty of questions in need of an answer. Even with his knowledge being more limited than one would expect from a pureblood werewolf, Koujirou was able to answer most questions without a problem. It was a bit of a relief, knowing that even what had happened to him wasn’t enough to make him completely forget who he was.

Then, at some point, Kenya pointed at a page.

“Oh- look, this one talks about packs too!” Then, he pouted. “I’ve never had a pack before, though…” Henmi rolled his eyes.

“Of course you haven’t- you’ve been living here since you were bitten, you idiot.” Kenya pouted, ready to reach over and hit him even with the chaos it was likely to start. He was only held back by Doumen, unwilling to be caught in the fight. That, and Doumen was humming deep in thought, finally deciding to speak up.

“Hey- but if we all live together here… wouldn’t that make us a pack?” Both Henmi and Kenya blinked, staring at him.

“D-don’t be silly, we need more werewolves to have a pack!”

“But we have Koujirou too now!” Koujirou looked up at the mention of his name in their odd argument. Kenya just smiled, as if what he was talking about made perfect sense. “That makes two of us, isn’t it enough?” Henmi stared. Then he sighed.

“I don’t think that’s how it works… besides- don’t you need to like, go hunt together or something like that to be an actual pack? I don’t know? Koujirou?”

He blinked, looking at both of them, trying to come up with an answer.

“I don’t… remember?” He sounded just as unsure as them.

“What…?” As much as he tried, Henmi couldn’t help the surprise in his voice. “D-didn’t you have a pack…?” Werewolves without a pack weren’t unheard of, but still too rare to last for too long on their own.

Koujirou slowly nodded, looking down at the book, a finger gently tracing the illustration of wolves gathered to hunt.

“… I had one. Before they… before they came. They killed a lot. Then they took me.”

There was an uncomfortable silence in the air after those words. He didn’t need to explain anything else, that was enough to make everything clear.

“Well- you have us now!” Doumen refused to let the silence last, already trying to find a better look into the grim situation.

At first, they almost held their breath, watching Koujirou, worried for his reaction. Then, Koujirou gave them a soft smile and a nod, the air around them finally feeling comfortable and breathable again.

“Yes… thank you.”

They went back to the book, this time quieter than before, trying to get through that specific section as fast as they could. Then, Kenya perked up, dumb grin on his face like he just had a great ideas.

“We could go hunt together one day!” Henmi just snorted at that.

“Kenya, the most you’ve ever hunted was a rabbit-”

“But I could learn to do more with Koujirou here! Right, right?” He tugged on Koujirou's sleeve, a pout on his face in hopes of convincing them.

“… Fine... I want to go out, so…” Kenya almost didn’t hear him, already celebrating and nearly knocking down Doumen in the process.

“We should… we should probably wait for Sakuma to come back first, though. Just to let him know before he freaks out, you know?” Everyone nodded- Doumen was right, after all. No need to worry Sakuma over something so small.

Koujirou wouldn’t mind waiting a little longer. It was nice being around them, anyways.

* * *

“Hey, I’m back!”

Sakuma barely had the time to step back inside the castle. As soon as the door was closed behind him, he was nearly tackled to the ground, barely keeping his balance as Koujirou threw himself at him, smiling so happily as he greeted him.

“H-hey- I guess you’re glad to see me, then…?” Koujirou quickly nodded, still refusing to let go of him. “I’m glad to know.”

He would’ve never expected something like this mere weeks ago, seeing the werewolf he had saved not only recover, but actively seek him out, genuinely happy having him around. It was a very welcome change, Sakuma couldn’t help the smile on his face.

When Koujirou finally pulled away, he was still smiling, albeit more awkwardly than before, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. Sakuma blinked, tilting his head as he watched him.

“What’s the problem?”

Koujirou was hesitant, as if reconsidering his petition before even asking. Sakuma held his hand, gently squeezing it to remind him that it was alright. Finally, he looked up at him, steeling himself for the words about to come.

“… I want to go out.”


	16. 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is so short i'm sorry-

It was something Sakuma had been refusing to acknowledge all this time.

Koujirou wasn’t meant to be stuck in one place, Sakuma was sure there had once been a free spirit before the worst years of his life.

If Koujirou wanted to, Sakuma had to let him go. He wasn’t sure to be ready for that.

As happy as Koujirou looked there with them, he was still a werewolf, someone that couldn’t –shouldn’t- be forced to stay somewhere. Werewolves tended to be nomads, free creatures that could never stick to one place for too long. Sakuma had to keep reminding himself that Koujirou had always been one at heart, that he couldn’t expect what little he knew thanks to Kenya to ever be enough, not with how different their circumstances were.

He forced himself to push those thoughts aside for now. Koujirou was more important.

If he wanted to finally step outside once again, Sakuma would gladly support him, help him in anything he could do. All for his sake. It was such a change since the first few days, since those times when he even refused to step out of his room, Sakuma couldn’t help but feel proud of him now, proud of how far he had come.

The day was not too hot, but not too chilly, just the perfect temperature, clouds lazily drifting in the sky. Sakuma decided to sit by the entry, relaxing in the shadow with a book. He wanted to think that there was no need to sit there and keep an eye out… but he could never know for sure. There was no telling what sort of people would try to venture into the woods.

He didn’t exactly like not being able to be outside and actually watch out for them, but there was no way he’d be able to step in the sun long enough to let them walk around as much as they wanted- not without risking his own skin, anyways. He’d have to trust Kenya to keep things in check and make sure Koujirou wouldn’t wander off and get lost. Or worse.

… In hindsight, maybe trusting the two embodiments of puppies on this might not have been the best idea. This might not be good for his health.

As stressful as it could be, he couldn’t say he was regretting it. Not after seeing how Koujirou was genuinely beaming as soon as he stepped outside with the brightest smile anyone had ever seen on his face. He didn’t even wait for Sakuma to say anything, already rushing out, a cheerful, howling wolf filled with newfound energy, itching to run and jump for hours until he could drop exhausted. No longer the bloody shadow of a wolf dragging his chain behind him, waiting for whatever cruel mercy came first.

Sakuma had to wonder when was he last allowed to just… be himself and do whatever he wanted. He didn’t linger on those thoughts, just watching instead as the two were let loose. Neither of them deserved the pain they had been through.

Running in and out of the woods, Koujirou was finally letting out weeks of pent up energy. Something as simple as that was already doing wonders for his mood, excited like he hadn’t been in years. It wasn’t just amazing- it was breathtaking, like a part of his very soul had finally been given back to him. Kenya was barely keeping up with him, his scrawny figure being nothing compared to Koujirou's heavy muscles, now much more clearly defined than a few weeks ago.

When he was apparently satisfied with his aimless sprinting around, Koujirou decided to head deeper into the woods, first making sure that Kenya was still following behind him. A moment later, he shifted back to human, wanting to stretch his human limbs before going on. Kenya was staring at him, head tilted and tail wagging, waiting for him. Koujirou just grinned at him, fully showing off his fangs.

“Hunt?” He perked up, barking in agreement. Koujirou smiled, taking a deep breath and looking around.

Still in his human form, he started sniffing the air in search of nearby animals. If Kenya wanted to learn how to hunt as well as any other werewolf, he might as well let him try first, no harm in that.

Then, he froze in place, scrunching his nose at the sudden scent, Kenya now looking at him in confusion. He knew that scent.

“Smells like humans.” Kenya was already panicking at that, frantically looking around in search of the danger. “It smells old, though. Really old?” He wasn’t sure how long it must’ve been since the humans walked through these woods, but the scent was faint.

Could it be from when Sakuma found him…? Maybe it was, he couldn’t tell for sure how long it had been since he was brought into the castle.

Koujirou couldn’t help but wonder how often humans came to this forest. How often they endangered his new friends out of some selfish need.

Behind him, Kenya let out a low whine, looking around, still unsure of what to do. Koujirou sighed, just reaching out to gently scratch his ears.

“Sorry for scaring you. It’s fine.” Kenya didn’t look entirely convinced. “I was wrong- no one is here.” Maybe it was a white lie, but… as long as he kept an eye out for the first sign of danger, it would be fine. He really hoped so. “Let’s hunt, okay?”

It took some more ear scratches and soft words to finally convince him that it really was alright. As much as he just wanted to go hunting again, to feel the thrill and excitement of chasing down his prey, Koujirou figured that Kenya could’ve used the distraction more than him.

Hunting came naturally to him, a second instinct that happened with the same ease as breathing. Explaining it to someone else? Not so much. He never thought it would be this hard to get another werewolf accustomed to something that was so normal to him. They were managing, somehow, Genda whispering to him what to do as soon as they spotted their first prey, an unsuspecting boar. Despite their first few failed attempts, Kenya eventually managed to follow Koujirou's instructions.

Koujirou could hardly hide the pride he felt as he watched Kenya come back from a successful hunt, watching him happily run up to him to show off his prey. It hadn’t been perfect and took much more time than necessary, but it was a start, a great one too. They would keep working on it together.

Hours later, as they walked back to the castle, fresh hunt dragged by their teeth and a very worried vampire waiting for them at the door, he couldn’t help the happiness at the sight.

For the first, he was starting to realize that this felt like home now.

He might have hated this place at first, might have thought that it would become nothing more than another cage, but… now he couldn’t bring himself to think that anymore. Maybe he would be allowed to stay.


	17. 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look it's one of my favorite chapters so far

Koujirou couldn’t really sleep that night.

For once, it wasn’t a nightmare giving him problems. As weird as it was after burning so much energy that afternoon, he felt restless, almost itching for more. As much as he turned around, pushed the sheets off and then pulled them on again, he just couldn’t fall asleep, no matter what he tried.

With a sigh, he finally decided to get out of bed. If he really couldn’t fall asleep, then might as well go find something to do. Maybe he could just sneak some food from the kitchen- Kenya had been doing that for a while already, as much as he kept denying it, so it should be fine, right?

Apparently someone at the castle made it a habit of saving up enough dried meat to feed them for a month or so. Koujirou wasn’t exactly complaining about it- it might’ve been weird the first time around, still preferring fresh meat whenever possible, but after trying it again, turns out it wasn’t as bad as he thought. Might’ve had something to do with the herbs and stuff they put in it. He wasn’t sure, but as long as he could eat it and it was tasty, he didn’t mind.

Finding his way around the castle was being somehow harder at night- it was either the lack of light, or he took a wrong turn and was now completely and hopelessly lost. He wouldn’t admit to it, though, as much as it was very likely what happened. Who needed a castle so big, anyways?

It was while aimlessly wandering through the halls that he heard it, faint and muffled.

Someone was crying.

Hesitantly, Koujirou kept walking, ears alert and trying to pinpoint the exact room it was coming from. When he finally found it, he took a deep breath, looking around just to be sure no one else was there. He wasn’t sure what he could, or if he could even do something to help, but…

They were being kind to him. He wanted to return the favor now.

After a moment of hesitation, he knocked on the door.

Suddenly, the soft sobs stopped, followed by silence. Koujirou was growing concerned, debating whether to knock again or hurry up and leave before someone opened the door. Right as he was about to step away, the door opened, just enough for someone to peek out.

“… Kenya? Are you…?”

“I-I’m fine- don’t worry.” They both knew it was a lie. Even in the dark, Koujirou could still see how red and puffy his eyes were, even if just barely.

“… You’re not. Let me help.” Kenya flinched, looking anywhere but at him. Koujirou almost apologized, already feeling like he had been overstepping his boundaries and screwing up all over again, when Kenya stepped back, quickly opening the door, almost desperate to let someone, anyone in.

Hesitantly, Koujirou stepped in, closing the door behind him. Kenya was just standing there, fidgeting with his sleeves, gaze glued to the floor. Now that he was standing there, watching him in his discomfort, Koujirou realized he had absolutely no idea what to do. And so, he did the first thing that came to his mind. He offered Kenya his own dried meat.

“… Food?” It did help him, to an extent, so maybe…

Kenya blinked, looking up at the offered food while wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. After a few awkward moments, he nodded a bit, accepting the meat with a weak smile.

“T-thank you…” Glancing around, Kenya moved closer to the bed to sit down, then looking at him again, this time a bit more at ease than before. “Uh… y-you can sit down if you want…”

“Alright…” Koujirou quietly sat next to Kenya, not saying anything else as he waited for Kenya to eat.

The silence was a bit more comfortable now, Kenya a bit more comfortable and Koujirou watching him, not daring to speak up just yet.

“Better?” Kenya nodded.

“Y-yeah, a bit… thank you…”

“Nightmare?” Another nod. Koujirou sighed, putting an arm around his shoulders without thinking, pulling him in an awkward hug. He understood, in a way, as much as he refused to admit to his own nightmares to anyone other than Sakuma. Despite the initial surprise, Kenya slowly managed to relax into it.

For a while, there was only silence, Kenya too busy trying to ward off the remains of that nightmare to even start figuring out what to say. Koujirou didn’t mind, letting him take as much time as he needed.

Then, Kenya took a deep breath.

"You know... my last name… I don’t really use it anymore, but it’s- was Narukami. Like a human." Koujirou glanced at him, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow, silently asking him to keep speaking. "I know you already know that I was bitten... Well, I used to be human. Years ago. Then... then when I was little a wolf bit me… and it… it wasn’t a normal wolf." His ears dropped. Koujirou didn't need to touch him to feel how much he was shaking, already hearing his increasing heartbeat. "My... m-my human family... t-they didn't like that... t-they were so s-scared of me-" even without finishing his sentence, Koujirou already had a fairly good idea of what he was talking about.

He hated it. He hated knowing that someone as kind as him had to suffer like that. He didn’t deserve it.

“Was that… your nightmare…?”

A nod.

Kenya must’ve felt him tensing up, his panic quickly rising.

“I-it’s okay now, though-! I-I’m doing better since Sakuma brought me here-!”

With a soft sigh, Koujirou forced himself to slowly calm down. It was alright, he told himself, they were both safe now.

He’d have to thank Sakuma again for this later.

“… So… you’re really doing well here?”

“Yep.” At least he sounds more at ease than a few minutes ago. Had it not been for the lingering redness in his eyes, Koujirou might’ve never thought he even had a nightmare in the first place. “Hey… Koujirou?” Koujirou looked at him as soon as he heard his name, an ear flicking. “I’m glad you’re here. It’s nice to have you around- I mean it.”

He couldn’t help his smile, reaching up to affectionately ruffle and mess up his hair. Kenya didn’t protest, now grinning up at him like a mischievous little sibling about to get in trouble. Koujirou wasn’t really sure how he had ended up like this, living with vampires and other creatures and helping tiny werewolves, but now? Now he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

* * *

When Sakuma went looking for him the next day, he couldn’t find Koujirou in his room. Or the library. Or the kitchen. Now he was starting to worry. Could Koujirou have already left again…?

No time to overthink. As early as it was, he might end up needing some help. And so, he headed to Kenya’s room, knocking on the door. He might still be asleep, but right now, Sakuma cared more about making sure Koujirou would be fine.

When no answer came, just as expected, Sakuma decided to carefully push the door open.

“Kenya? Kenya, I-” he quickly cut himself off, staring at the scene before him dumbfounded.

Fast asleep on the bed, Koujirou was softly snoring, holding Kenya close, who seemed pretty content just cuddling Koujirou's tail in his sleep. It almost felt like watching two puppies from the same litter, two siblings just snuggled together for warmth and protection.

Sakuma slowly closed the door again, letting them sleep. If they ended up sleeping in, that was alright.


	18. 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not gonna lie i'm surprised this fic has gotten so far! hope you'll enjoy this chapter :)

After the first time, Koujirou had been going out more and more often. As much as it worried Sakuma, he somewhat reluctantly let it happen, unwilling to make him feel trapped inside the castle. He had already been a prisoner for far too long. It was hard to say no when he looked so much happier than before, his smile the brightest Sakuma had ever seen it.

It was starting to get hard to deny how it made his heart jump.

Regardless, he focused on just helping Koujirou, disregarding anything else- as long as they all were fine, Sakuma didn’t mind anything else.

At some point, Koujirou had started taking up the habit of hunting and bringing back fresh meat.

Sakuma didn’t really mind, glad to see him finally in a good enough condition to go back to doing normal things without tiring himself out or getting himself hurt in the process. It took him a while to realize that Koujirou was hunting more than usual.

A rabbit here, a grouse there, Koujirou had been bringing back smaller animals often. It wouldn’t be as worrying as Sakuma found it had it not been for how hard he was trying to hide the evidence. What reason was there for sneaking around like that? Didn’t he already know that no one would be judging or lashing out at him there, no matter what?

… but what if he didn’t know? What if… he still didn’t think he could trust them? What if- Sakuma immediately tried to shake that thought out of his head. That was a stupid thought, after everything that happened, everything they had done together, there was no way Koujirou didn’t trust them. And Sakuma had to trust him that he did.

… the knowledge that Koujirou was hiding something kept bothering him thorough the day.

He had to figure out what was going on, before the doubts and worries could drive him crazy.

Standing in front of Koujirou's room, Sakuma stared at the door, as if still not sure whether or not he should really be doing this. Maybe it was nothing and he was just overthinking, worrying over nothing.

Taking a deep breath, he quickly knocked before being able to change his mind. Then he knocked again. And again and again.

“Koujirou? Is everything alright…?” Sakuma kept knocking on the door, worry bubbling up.

“Y-yes-! I-I’m fine!” Sakuma wasn’t convinced. When he heard a noise that definitely didn’t come from Koujirou, he threw all manners out of the window.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m coming in-”

Before Koujirou could keep protesting and trying to keep him out, Sakuma had already opened the door. Then, he blinked, taking in the scene.

Koujirou was sitting on his bed, staring at him with wide eyes and frozen in place. It wasn’t as surprising as the little balls of fur surrounding him on the bed, pawing and meowing at him, tripping and crawling around. They looked far too young to even be left alone.

“… Is this what you were hiding?” Koujirou flinched and looked away. He didn’t even need to say anything by now.

With a soft sigh, Sakuma stepped closer to the bed, careful of where he was sitting. One of the kittens already wandered closer to him, bumping into his leg and curling up against it.

“What happened? You don’t have to hide this, you know…” Koujirou was pouting now, gently petting the kitten in his hands.

“I… thought you…”

“I wouldn’t accept it…?” A soft nod. Sakuma just draped an arm over his shoulders to pull him closer. “Don’t be silly- if it’s making you happy, I won’t say no.”

“... Really?”

“Of course.” As if he could say no to him.

* * *

To his surprise, Koujirou was very dedicated to his new litter. It was becoming more and more common to find the wolf somewhere with the kittens, either playing or just resting and napping, the tiny animals curling up and hiding in Koujirou's fur. Sakuma would always deny the blush creeping on his cheek whenever he was greeted by that sight, no matter how much everyone else would tease him over it.

It was also starting to become more and more common to stumble upon one of the kittens anywhere in the castle. For something so small they were very good at wandering outside of his room. Sakuma nearly tripped over one of them, the little guy meowing alarmed.

“Hey- be careful where you walk!” Huffing, he knelt down to pick the kitten, mindful of not hurting or mishandling it. As soon as it was at eye level, the kitten decided to retaliate and paw at his face- not really helpful. It was quite soft, though, Sakuma could appreciate that. “Come on, let’s bring you back- Koujirou must be so worried over you…”

Just as expected, Koujirou had been worried sick over the missing kitten, only relieved when he saw it safe in Sakuma's hands.

“Sorry- he got lost and-”

“It’s fine, don’t worry- it’s not your fault. Besides, he didn’t cause any trouble.” With a soft sigh, Koujirou carefully took the kitten from his hands, gently ushering it back in his room with the rest of the litter. Sakuma had to really fight back the fond smile on his lips before it could raise questions.

Peeking into the room, Sakuma could see the rowdy bunch of kittens playing with each other, quick to welcome back their previously lost sibling. There were a few pillows in a corner of the room, the fur on them enough to know that it must’ve been their improvised bed. Then, Sakuma frowned to himself as he looked back at Koujirou.

“Did you give them your pillows?” That was enough to worry him, his ears dropping.

“Yes…?”

“What about you? Do you need more pillow? I can get you some if you’d like- I don’t want you uncomfortable.” As nice and kind as it was of him to take such good care of the kittens, Koujirou was still his priority. Koujirou blinked, his ears perking up as he stared at him.

“Oh.” Did he… really think he was in trouble? “… Can I?” Sakuma just nodded. “I want more pillows.” Sakuma had to pretend he wasn’t noticing the gentle wag of his tail- seriously, it wasn’t fair that a wolf so imposing and scary could be this cute.

“Alright then- I’ll go find some-”

Before he could leave, Koujirou took his hand, ears dropping and a slight pout on his face as he looked away. Sakuma already knew what that meant.

“Alright… I can stay for a bit longer.” He knew Koujirou still wasn’t happy with his sudden absence from a few days ago- he should’ve probably warned him ahead of time.

At least that seemed to make Koujirou happy, his ears perking up once again and the smile back on his face.

“Do you want to see them?” Sakuma wasn’t exactly a cat person. Or an animal person- at least when it came to something that wasn’t his prey, he just didn’t know how to take care of them all that well. He also wasn’t about to refuse when Koujirou was asking with that big and bright smile of his.

“Sure.” As soon as he agreed, Koujirou led him to the bed to sit down. That was all the cue the kittens needed to make their way in and claim their new territory.

For someone that wasn’t a cat person, Sakuma had to admit that they were actually pretty cute. Not as much as Koujirou happily holding one of them, gently petting it as another tried to crawl its way onto his lap.

“Have you named them yet?” Koujirou just pouted at the question.

“Not… really. I don’t… have any names.” He didn’t seem very happy with that.

“It’s alright- we can come up with something if you’d like- we can even ask the others.” Koujirou was quick to nod, almost too quick. Sakuma tilted his head, watching him closely. “… This is important for you, isn’t it?”

“… They deserve a name.”

Sakuma didn’t press him for an answer, just gently putting an arm around his shoulders to hug him. It was enough to get a smile out of Koujirou, even leaning into the touch. If he was a cat, Sakuma was sure he’d be purring by now.

Sakuma didn’t let go of him for the rest of the day.

When it was starting to get late, Sakuma finally decided to get up and check on everyone else- besides, Koujirou needed to rest, Sakuma was pretty sure it was getting way too late for him, his lack of protests once Sakuma was back on his feet enough proof of it already. It was only when he saw Koujirou yawning that he realized what he was forgetting to do.

“Oh- I forgot the pillows, sorry- I’ll go get them right now!” He quickly got up and rushed out of the room.

When Sakuma finally came back with the new pillows, he found Koujirou already curled up comfortably in bed and snuggled under the sheets, the kittens snuggled up to him to sleep, enjoying the warmth. Unwilling to bother him, Sakuma tried to arrange the pillows around them as much as he could, making sure no one was awake before tiptoeing his way out of the room and slowly closing the door.


	19. 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHAPTERS WRITTEN TO THE TUNE OF EPIC CELTIC MUSIC  
> WHAT DO YOU MEAN ARE YOU OK YES I AM I HAVE NOT BEEN FRANTICALLY WRITING WHEN INSPIRATION HIT AT 3AM

Sakuma was woken up by the sound of off tune, poorly played notes.

Groggy and confused, he reluctantly pushed himself out of bed, yawning and rubbing his eye as he finally was steady enough to walk out of the room.

Every once in a while, the noise stopped, only to pick up again a few seconds later in a clear attempt to get right whatever tune it was supposed to be. Eventually, Sakuma found himself standing in front of the piano room, the door open just a creak. When the noise picked up again, more frustrated than before, Sakuma decided to carefully push it open and peek inside.

Koujirou was sitting on the stool, his back turned to him and a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and pulled up all the way to cover his head, his tail poking out and uncharacteristically still. A shaky hand was pressing the piano’s keys almost desperately, his frame tense and on edge, slowly growing more and more frantic as he kept failing, like he was barely keeping himself together. Something was wrong, Sakuma could tell.

“Koujirou? What’s wrong?”

Koujirou nearly jumped out of his seat, turning around to look at him, too tired to muster up a glare at being startled like that. With a whispered apology, Sakuma stepped closer to him, now able to take a good look at the sheets propped in front of him. Koujirou wordlessly inched closer to the edge of the stool, giving him enough space to sit down. Before the silence could get too uncomfortable, Sakuma spoke up again.

“What are you doing here?” Koujirou sighed as he glanced away, not quite willing to talk just yet. Sakuma just wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer, letting him lean into the hug. He’d give him all the time he needed to calm down and feel ready to speak up. Eventually he could feel Koujirou slowly relaxing, taking a shaky breath as he nuzzled into his shoulder.

“… Can’t sleep.” Sakuma wasn’t surprised, really. The nightmares might be finally becoming less frequent, but they were still there, still haunting his every step, clinging to him like his own shadow. “… I… I thought… music could help…”

“Do you… do you want me to play something for you?” A soft nod. Sakuma let go of him to carefully pick up the book with the sheets, flipping through the pages in search of a fitting melody. At his side, Koujirou snuggled a bit more into the blanket, silently watching and waiting for him to start playing.

Finally, Sakuma found something to play. A soft and soothing lullaby. Setting the book back in place, he rested his fingers over the smooth, cold surface of the keys, taking a deep breath. Then, he started playing.

It started slow, gentle notes filling the silence in the air one at a time, gradually picking up the more notes he played, a kind tune that would comfort and reassure even the harshest of souls. Koujirou was resting his head on his shoulder, completely enthralled by the melody flowing in the air, his tail swaying to the soft rhythm. When Sakuma looked at him out of the corner of his eye, he could see a glint in his eyes and a genuine smile on his face, his ears twitching under the blanket in what Sakuma hoped was awe and wonder. It was a beautiful sight, one he didn’t want to forget any time soon.

Even when the sheet marked the end of the song, Sakuma just continued playing, picking up from the very beginning to go on, not wanting the moment to end just yet. It was like a spell had been cast, and he refused to break it, at least for a little longer. Koujirou didn’t seem to mind, content just closing his eyes and listening. That wonderful smile still wasn’t leaving his face.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, lost in the song as he kept playing it, but at some point, Sakuma realized the weight pressed against his side had gone slack. Slowly coming to a halt, he frowned at the newfound silence, turning to look at Koujirou. If Sakuma wanted to say something, it was all quickly forgotten as soon as he took a good look at him. His breathing was even, his eyes were closed and he was comfortably resting against him, almost falling to the floor with his precarious balance.

Koujirou had fallen asleep while listening. He had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

That was… good. Sakuma couldn’t really say he was complaining- he knew that Koujirou needed as much rest as he could get.

Now, getting him back to his room without waking him up was another problem entirely. Sakuma glanced at him, then around the room, now remembering that they were alone in it. He sighed, looking at the sleeping wolf once again. He’d figure something out… maybe.

Somehow, Sakuma eventually managed to take Koujirou back to his own room. Slowly. Very slowly and carefully. Well, as long as it worked, it didn’t really matter how or how long it took.

Sakuma would forever deny that looking at a peaceful, sleeping Koujirou bundled up in his blanket was cute.

Anyways, back to getting him to sleep comfortably where he should be resting. After managing to carry him through the castle’s halls, this wouldn’t be so hard, right? … wrong.

Turns out, against all expectations, Koujirou could be one hell of a hugger in his sleep. Sakuma certainly didn’t expect that, at least. Prying the claws away from him without ripping his clothes was far harder than he expected too. As careful as he was being, they were still getting tangled on loose threads. Sakuma was very glad to remember that these were just his night clothes and not one of his fanciest suits.

Somehow, he finally managed to get Koujirou in bed and tucked in. Unsurprisingly, some of the kittens were already climbing onto the bed and getting comfortable snuggling up to him. With a soft sigh, Sakuma gently brushed his messy hair aside, a small, fond smile on his face as he watched him. When he was asleep like this he looked so at ease, like nothing could hurt him again and he could finally allow himself to breathe. He could keep watching and never get tired.

Before getting up to leave, Sakuma leaned in, gently resting his forehead against his. He deserved at least that much affection, if not more.

“Sleep well…”

* * *

“Sakuma!” He turned around as soon as he heard his name, soon faced by Koujirou’s big smile and bright eyes. It took Sakuma all of his self-control not to jump at the sudden yell- he still wasn’t used to seeing Koujirou happily run around the whole castle so casually. Not like he minded- if anything, he was even happier now that he didn’t try to hide in his room anymore, even going as far as to try and have his meals with the rest of them.

“Hey, Koujirou- what is it?” Now his smile softened.

“Thank you. For the help.”

Sakuma blinked. Then, he just smiled back at him.

“You don’t need to thank me, but… you’re welcome… I’ll always be here to help you whenever you need it.” Then, he gestured at the empty chair next to him. “Do you want to take a seat? You still haven’t eaten today.”

For a moment, Koujirou was quiet thinking, only to then quickly shake his head.

“I want to hunt.”

Well… that wasn’t the answer he expected, but he would take it. It’s not like he could really stop him from doing what he wanted- he wouldn’t even if he actually could. Koujirou deserved his freedom, even if he would’ve wanted nothing more than to ask him to stay and never leave.

“Oh- alright then, just be careful out there.”

Koujirou eagerly nodded, turning around to leave, only to stop after a few steps. Under Sakuma's confused stare, Koujirou stepped closer to him and took his hand, leaning down after a moment to gently touch their foreheads together. Sakuma suddenly couldn’t think straight anymore.

“You- you were awake-?” Somehow, he had managed to get that question out as his brain fried itself. Koujirou didn’t say anything, only giving him a smile that might mean something or absolutely nothing, turning around and sprinting out of the room.

As soon as Koujirou left, someone snickered at his side. Sakuma turned to glare at them, finding Henmi making a poor attempt at hiding it by covering his mouth, Kenya just giving him one of his dumb grins as his tail wagged. Even Doumen, who usually stayed out of this sort of things, was giving him a stare like he knew something Sakuma didn’t.

“… What.”

Now Henmi wasn’t even trying anymore.

“It’s… it’s really obvious.” Doumen helpfully –maybe- supplied, ignoring Sakuma's now annoyed stare. “I think everyone has realized it here by now.”

“Realized what?” Now they were just… sort of staring at him, like he had suddenly turned human in front of their eyes. This was not helping. “What are you talking about?”

“You… you really didn’t notice?” Henmi had somehow managed to find his composure just enough to stare at him in growing disbelief. “You can’t be that oblivious and dense, come on-”

Sakuma groaned, not liking all the mystery of this conversation- it was already weird enough as it was to add that to it too.

“Seriously- what are you guys going on about?”

The three of them exchanged looks, a brief and silent conversation going on between them. Sakuma was just growing more and more irritated by the second.

Eventually, Henmi sighed under their glares, turning to look at Sakuma as serious as he could be. If he was trying to be serious instead of an awkward smartass, then this couldn’t be good.

“Sakuma… you’re in love with Koujirou- we all can see it.”

… Definitely not good.


	20. 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is so short njfgkdngjdfkgnd

Sakuma had pretty much bolted out of the room within minutes of trying to talk.

They- they were making it all up. He would know if he was in love with someone, right? That was just some petty nonsense they made up out of boredom, nothing else. So what if he took good care of him to nurse him back to health? It was just what any decent being with a shred of compassion would do. So what if he enjoyed spending time with him, what if he liked seeing him smile and had a warm, fuzzy feeling whenever-

He was not in love with Koujirou. Not at all.

He wasn’t sure why the blood had rushed to his face so quickly, to the point of being able to smell it and make him sick.

He was _not_ in love with Koujirou. Seriously, he wasn’t- and he wasn’t deep in denial either, they were all just being stupid.

Right?

…

Fuck.

He… he might have to talk to Koujirou. Maybe.

* * *

Koujirou's hunt was going better than he expected that day. He could feel his strength back in full after all those weeks spent recovering inside the castle, no longer feeling tired and drained after pushing himself a bit too much, finally able to go back to running and pouncing with the fierceness of a predator. He wasn’t a scared dog anymore, he was a wolf, standing with his head held high, proud of himself.

… of course, it would actually be going better if he had any luck actually finding something to hunt down. There was a weird tension in the air, he could feel it, only aided by the apparent lack of wildlife in the nearby woods. Now that was weird- he remembered seeing and hearing quite a bit of them during his last few times out hunting or just stretching. He had a bad feeling about this, but just tried to chalk it up to his own paranoia and brush it off.

It took a while to finally spot a prey, a deer on the smaller side in a nearby clearing. It wasn’t that big, but it would have to do if he couldn’t find anything else. And so he prepared, fingernails twisting into sturdy claws, teeth turning sharper and his body growing stronger and bigger. The wolf crouched in the bushes, now in his element, prepared to strike at the slightest opportunity given to him. Then, he finally saw it, his prey turning its back to him, the wind shifting in the right direction, like whispering to him to give into his nature. He gladly followed, taking a smaller step forward, crouching just a bit more, muscles tense and ready to jump, to pounce and maul and- he stopped before he could take his chance, the glinting metal hidden between the fallen leaves springing into action.

The deer was caught, not by him. By a trap, a human trap, one he remembered seeing many times before when they didn’t intend on letting their prey live to tell the tale and warn their kind.

Hunt forgotten, Koujirou didn’t hesitate, turning around and sprinting back towards the castle as fast as his legs would allow him- even if no one was nearby, even if he wasn’t hearing the screams behind him and the arrows whizzing in the air so close it made his heart pound faster in his ribcage, even if he wasn’t smelling the blood and death, he wasn’t taking any chances. He wasn’t going to allow a human to take him again, no matter what. He would’ve rather die than go through that again.

He didn’t even realize when he had gotten back to the castle, the silhouette now so welcoming and familiar already in his sight. He was too busy running to notice, the memory of those traps branded into his mind and his own scars aching a little more.

Somehow, he had managed not to slam the door shut as he walked in, having turned back to his more human form at some point in the middle of his panic. Maybe the door was just too heavy to slam it behind him, he didn’t know for sure. He didn’t care either, only wanting to get as far away from those woods as possible now, his hunger completely forgotten and replaced by the need to throw up.

At some point, his feet had started carrying him to his room. He wasn’t even sure how far he had gotten before running into someone.

“Oh, Koujirou, you-” Sakuma cut himself off as soon as he took a good look at him, all the awkwardness in his voice suddenly gone, his brow furrowing. “… What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Koujirou wasn’t even sure he had managed a weak nod until he saw Sakuma stepping closer, face twisted in concern and worry as he slowly reached out to take one of his hands. The touch was welcomed, Koujirou trying to think of nothing else, trying to remind himself that he was home now, not left in some cage not sure if he was hoping to survive the night or not.

He didn’t even realize he was back in his room until Sakuma gently pushed him on the bed to sit down, his tail curling around him as his ears flattened against his head. Part of him remembered to at least try to take a deep breath, as shaky as it was. It was a start, slowly but surely.

“… What’s wrong? Do you want to talk about it…?”

Truth to be told, Koujirou didn’t want to, wanted nothing more than to hide and forget about all of it until he didn’t feel like he was drowning anymore. He almost felt proud of himself when he managed to open his mouth, to take a deep breath before finally speaking.

“… Humans. I saw a trap.” He wanted to say more than that, silently cursing himself for it, but apparently that was enough for Sakuma to understand, his eye narrowing in what was definitely unspoken fury.

“… Can you stay here for a moment? I need to go speak to the others- I promise, I’ll be as quick as I can.”

Koujirou now noticed how Sakuma still hadn’t let go of his hand.

It was stupid, selfish and impulsive, it was something he shouldn’t be doing, but… he couldn’t help himself, gently bringing up Sakuma’s hand to press his cheek into it, even nuzzling a bit into the touch, his lips almost close enough to brush his palm. He just needed a moment. Some small part of him was refusing to admit that what he really needed was something else. Maybe even someone.

Almost reluctantly, he let go of Sakuma's hand, not really noticing the faint red on his cheeks.

“… Go tell them.”

Sakuma managed a nod when he shook himself out of his stupor, nearly staggering towards the door rather than walking determined like the prince he was.

It only took Sakuma a few steps out of the door to realize that his chance to talk to Koujirou was completely ruined. After he was sure everyone was safe and home, he told himself.

He knew he was stalling for time anyways, already hoping for an excuse to postpone it. There was no lying to himself anymore.


	21. 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what to say except sorry for making this one so short I am awful at making long chapters but somehow easily spew out 2k-3k+ words on oneshots and I have no excuse for that

“Are you sure about this…?”

“Yup! You’ll see- they’ll be impressed!”

Doumen just sighed once again as he followed Kenya into the woods, little cape carefully hiding every inch of skin as he walked behind him.

Somehow, Kenya had managed to once again wrap him into one of his weird little plans- well, not like it was that hard, really, Doumen could hardly tell him no most of the time. This was just another of those occasions. Werewolves should not be allowed to pull off puppy eyes that well, really.

“And what makes you think that catching some big prey all on your own when you’re still learning is a good idea?”

In all honesty, at some point Doumen got lost between all the excited rambling. He had agreed to come more to make sure he didn’t get in trouble than out of genuine interest- not like it didn’t interest him at all! Quite the opposite, he was really glad to see all the progress his best friend had made overtime. Doumen made a mental note of thanking Koujirou later for all he had done to help.

“You’ll see- Koujirou had to help me so far, but I know that if I catch something as big as his hunts he’ll definitely be amazed- and then I can give it to him as a thanks for his help! Win-win.”

Yet another sigh, soft enough to only be heard by Doumen himself. Maybe Kenya was getting a bit ahead of himself now… but he could see his point very well. If it mattered so much to him, then Doumen would gladly help him, or at least hang around for support, whatever kind is needed.

“… Are you sure it couldn’t wait for another day, though? You do need more practice…”

That, and something didn’t feel quite right. Maybe he was just being a bit paranoid, living under the same roof as Sakuma tended to have that effect on others.

“It’ll be fine- if anything, this can be my practice now! I can’t always have Koujirou there.” Now he was pouting. Doumen was wise enough not to comment on that, even when he couldn’t really hide a smile and a chuckle at the sight. Seriously, what was it with werewolves managing to look so much like puppies? Was it the ears? Must be the ears.

As they kept walking, Kenya was carefully sniffing the air, letting his nose lead him through the thick of the woods. Sometimes it was still a bit hard to tell some of the stranger scents apart, but he was definitely trying his best- at least he was used to the smell of the forest and animals enough to easily recognize those. That’s what mattered, right? He kept going like that for a while, keeping his eyes and ears out for any trace of a fitting animal, keeping in mind what advice Koujirou had managed to think of for him.

Then, he stopped on his tracks, brow scrunched as he took a deep breath.

“Doumen… do you smell that?”

* * *

A human trap. In the woods. _Their_ woods.

Maybe he was just being paranoid, but for Sakuma, that was already enough to worry- he had already rescued enough creatures from them not to worry over it. He refused to let anyone suffer again, he promised to himself and to each one of them that he would keep it from happening no matter what. Even if it killed him.

It was already clear in his steps how agitated his was, walking just a bit more frantically than usual as he went through the castle looking for everyone else, just trying to make sure that they were still inside and safe and relying the information that under no circumstances they were to leave yet, at least alone if it was absolutely necessary. His commanding voice with that edge of worry was enough to tell them all how serious he was, that it wasn’t just some petty request, but something to be taken seriously for their own wellbeing. No one questioned him, only giving him nods and words of agreement as they acknowledged him, even when Sakuma could see they all wanted to ask what was wrong, growing just as tense as he was. He only asked to meet them in the dinner hall to explain himself once, something they could all agree on. Whatever it was, if it was bad enough to ask them not to leave the castle, it needed to be discussed.

The more he walked through the castle, the more Sakuma felt that something was very wrong, a bad feeling festering in his insides like an illness. It only took him having to see a few more rooms to realize what it was. Someone was missing.

Soon, he realized the distinct absence of a werewolf in the castle. He started looking around more frantically than before, trying to locate and question Doumen on the matter, only to realize that the other vampire was also absent.

His heart sank at the realization.

“Sakuma…? What’s wrong?”

Had he not been already so afraid at the knowledge alone that both Kenya and Doumen weren’t in the castle anymore, that there could’ve been dangerous humans outside ready to put all of their family in cages, Sakuma would’ve been startled by Koujirou's surprisingly soft voice.

Taking a deep breath, he turned around to face him. Koujirou was watching him, ears low and tail curling around a leg, his brow furrowing and lips pressed in a thin line as he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. He must’ve already had a feeling on what could be wrong.

“… Kenya and Doumen. They’re not here.” Koujirou tensed up. He already understood the implications. “They- they must’ve left at some point earlier today, maybe while you were still outside? I- I don’t know, but now they’re gone and there’s who knows how many humans out there armed and dangerous and- and they just-”

“Sakuma.”

His increasingly panicked ramblings were cut off with the sound of his name. His eye widened when he looked at Koujirou again, not even realizing that he was running a hand through his hair a bit more forcefully than needed, now just trying to take deep breaths and regain his composure. It was not the right time to panic and lose his cool.

Koujirou looked… almost calm. Determined in a way, too. He almost looked like the leader of a pack, ready to tear off the throat of anyone threatening his own. Sakuma wondered for a moment if he had been the son of the leader of his own pack, before it all went to hell.

Then, Koujirou took a step towards him and Sakuma froze. Before he could even realize what was happening, there was a pair of arms holding him close and tightly, Koujirou taking a moment just to comfort him and calm him down.

Sakuma almost wished the situation was different, if anything at least to allow himself to enjoy the hug.

“We can find them.”

Sakuma weakly nodded, part of him aware enough to return the hug. He wished so badly to let it last longer, as selfish as the thought alone was.

“… You’re right. We’ll find them. We’ll make sure they’ll be okay.”

They had to.


	22. 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been waiting for SO long to post this please enjoy??? I'm excited to get to this

Sometimes, Sakuma really wished that everyone could be a little less stubborn and more cooperative.

He could already tell how on edge everyone was just a bit into the explanation of the current situation, only getting worse as he kept talking. By the end of it, he was sure it was a sheer miracle keeping everyone in their seats rather than making them bolt towards the door and into the forest to find their missing friends. As grateful as he was for how much they cared, it did not make his role as leader any easier.

Koujirou was still at his side, though, silent and grimly determined to fight if he had to, fists clenched and claws nearly digging into his palms. Sakuma was already prepared to ask him to wait at the castle for his return, unwilling to take the risk of letting him get close to a human again, at least not so soon after being set free from them. It might have been months already, but he knew it still wasn’t enough for Koujirou to recover not only from the wounds on his body, but from the mental scars as well, knew it might never actually be enough for him to be okay again.

Despite all that, he couldn’t stop Koujirou, who had declared he would be going out and helping find them as soon as they started discussing their plans from now on, want it or not. There was no stopping him, Sakuma could tell from his expression, from the fury shining in his eyes like a blazing inferno. He was proud of him. Proud and terrified for him.

As determined as he was, there was no telling what would happen when forced to confront the source of all his pain up close and personal. Sakuma could only hope it wouldn’t go as badly as he expected it to.

After managing to keep everyone else under control and remind them that time was of the essence, the rest went smoothly. Part of them would stay at the castle just in case nothing was actually wrong and Doumen and Kenya came back, while the other part went out looking for them and keeping an eye out for humans, just to make sure they weren’t stepping close to their home.

Deciding who had to stay behind and wonder if everyone would make it back alive and safe had almost made them break into a fight all over again.

They knew they couldn’t all go outside- they couldn’t risk big numbers if there really were humans nearby. They also knew that whoever went outside, they couldn’t be left alone, they had to stick together as much as possible to avoid unseen threats, yet spread out enough to cover as much territory as possible.

In the end, the few that would go had decided to split into pairs. There was still much protest from those forced to stay behind, but with it being the middle of the day, they couldn’t risk most of them leaving. It was one of those times where they really hated being vampires, Sakuma more than anyone else. He still decided to put his life on the line- had to do it and ensure his family’s wellbeing and safety.

With him were coming Koujirou, Oono and Sakiyama. The orc and the half fairy were strong, would be able to easily hold their own in a fight, other than not being subject to the weakness of sunlight like most of them were. That, coupled with being some of the most level headed in the castle, told Sakuma that he could trust them to stay safe and not put themselves in reckless danger.

He could only hope Koujirou would do the same.

As soon as they had stepped outside, Sakuma clutching his cape a bit closer to his body, Koujirou had shifted, now a much more threatening and imposing wolf. Sakuma would’ve stopped to admire his progress and recovery if it wasn’t for their situation. He still couldn’t help to feel at least a bit of pride at the sight.

“Alright- can you smell either of them now?”

His nose twitched, snout getting closer to the ground to try and find a trace of them. Eventually, he looked at Sakuma, tail flicking as he stepped closer, gesturing behind him with his head. Sakuma blinked, staring as he tried to decipher what Koujirou was trying to tell him… and then he tilted his head, not sure if that was really what he was asking.

“You… you want me to get on your back?”

Koujirou huffed almost impatiently, getting closer and lightly pushing him. Sakuma got the message with that, resting his hands on his back to get a firm grip. Then, he hesitated, turning to look at Koujirou.

“Are… are you sure…? You don’t have to-” He huffed again, glaring at him and clearly not taking no for an answer. Sakuma wisely decided to stop arguing and just get on his back already- they had already wasted enough time as it was, no use arguing now over something this small and petty.

Once Sakuma was secured on his back and clinging to his fur to keep his balance, Koujirou growling as he picked up the scent, not hesitating to run after it at his best speed. Sakuma silently hoped that whatever he had found was leading them on the right path, that it wasn’t too late and that those two were still safe.

He shouldn’t have been surprised, really. For a moment, he didn’t even have the strength to be angry, for a moment he only felt numb.

Then, he saw the tiny bat being shoved against the ground with a hand, fading in and out of consciousness under the sunlight, punctured wings and the sickening smell of burnt fur and flesh heavy in the air. He saw Kenya being held by the neck, eyes wide and tears running down his face, ears flat against his head and tail between his legs, shaking and forcing himself to stay still and quiet. He saw the hideous grins on their faces, the weapons and chains in their hands.

He saw that bitten child abandoned and thrown away by what was once his own kind, taken in with a promise of a real home. He saw that small vampire all alone, still trying so hard to be cheerful despite everything that happened, just glad to have somewhere to belong. He saw that lone wolf held in chains and used as nothing more than a dog, brought back from the brink of death to finally be allowed to live his life.

Koujirou bristled, a low growl ripping itself from his throat, fangs bare and ready to tear into flesh and bone alike, all compassion forgotten.

Sakuma saw red.


	23. 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERE WE GO WE'RE FINALLY HERE

“Koujirou. Let’s go.”

How he had managed to keep his voice steady enough to whisper into Koujirou’s ear, Sakuma wasn’t sure- not like he cared, not now that his fears had been confirmed.

Even without the surprise factor on their side, even when the group of seven humans was outnumbering them, neither of them cared, they didn’t have the time to spare anymore. It was life or death now, especially for Doumen, still exposed to the sunlight, no longer having the strength to even try to stay awake.

Koujirou didn’t hesitate to move, lunging at the closest humans with a snarl, biting as hard as he could on whatever he could find no matter the damage it did, clawing and kicking at anyone who came a bit too close. Sakuma followed, hissing as he jumped down Koujirou's back, attacking and aiming to kill. One of them fell to the ground, bloody throat and lifeless eyes.

In the middle of the fight, Sakuma had managed to take Doumen and leave him in a nearby bush, far away enough to keep him safe in the shade while still keeping an eye on him as they took care of the hunters. Koujirou was still fighting tooth and nail, relentless and merciless as he attacked anyone within range. Kenya had managed to snap out of his fear and blind panic enough to take the human by surprise, kicking and clawing until he had managed to make him let go.

It was all they needed, a little reassurance to push and keep fighting back.

As much as Sakuma wanted to stay and keep fighting, he knew how to pick his battles. Reluctantly, he tried to get it done as quickly as possible, knowing their priority was to take care of their family and ensuring their safety. Doumen and Kenya needed them more than they needed the humans dead.

“Koujirou! We need to-” he almost didn’t manage to dodge the silver dagger in time in his attempts to get Koujirou's attention. The wolf wasn’t listening, the perfect image of a feral predator who wanted nothing but blood, another corpse at his feet. He wouldn’t stop, no matter what, until they were dead.

Sakuma didn’t want to do it, but he couldn’t further endanger Doumen and Kenya after finally finding them, not when they didn’t even know if there were more humans and if everyone else was still safe.

“Kenya! Get up, we need to get out of here!” Kenya snapped out of his panic once he heard Sakuma, weakly nodding as he tried to get back on his feet and run.

It was still slow enough for one of the humans to reach out and yank on his tail, knocking him back to the ground with a pained yelp, his grip painfully tight.

Looking at Kenya’s terrified face was all it took.

Sakuma was already lunging at the human, his rage blinding him to the oncoming attacks, a single thought on his mind: he wanted to hurt them. To kill them.

Even when he was aware enough to dodge the arrows, he didn’t notice the human coming from behind until it was too late.

Sakuma screamed in pain as the cape was ripped off him, skin sizzling and burning under the sun, the sickening stench of scorching, boiling flesh filling the air. He didn’t even realize that he had hit the ground until he felt the dirt scraping his open wounds.

He knew there were screams and chaos all around him, but he didn’t have the strength to listen, to even push himself up to see what was going on, the pain and light enough to blind him and render him completely useless, already on the verge of passing out.

Then, he felt someone pushing him with all their strength. Sakuma was so dazed it took him a moment to realize that he was now slumped under the shade of a tree, taking deep breaths, body shaking as he tried to figure out what just happened, Kenya at his side just as lost and still too caught up in his own fear to even realize that he was no longer in the human’s grasp.

Koujirou pushed them both away, now standing between them and the remaining humans, no longer taking the form of a wolf. Despite the clear opening, the humans weren’t attacking just yet, scrambling to get back on their feet after the brutal attack, yelling at each other. Sakuma wasn’t sure if there were more of them dead now or if they were just injured.

What he was sure about, was that he heard the mention of reinforcements. His heart sank, realizing that there were even more of them somewhere in the forest. They were in a far greater danger than what he thought.

Then, Koujirou glanced at him. The smile on his face was forced, reluctant. Like he was asking for forgiveness.

“Sakuma… I love you.”

For a moment, Sakuma forgot how to breathe.

The pain, his injuries, the hunters facing them- none of that mattered, even if it was just for a brief moment, his eye wide and his body shaking, unable to look away from Koujirou. From the one he loved and that loved him back.

Then, he realized two things.

One, Koujirou did, in fact, return his feelings. Even not knowing that Sakuma did love him too.

Two, the spontaneous confession was one out of desperation, forced out rather than willing. Like Koujirou didn’t think he would get to say it otherwise. Like whatever he was about to do was something he wouldn’t come back from.

It wasn’t just a confession.

“Kenya.” He snapped out of his thoughts as soon as he heard his name, looking up at Koujirou almost hesitantly. He was serious now, his fake smile completely gone. “Get them home safe. I trust you.”

_It was a goodbye._

Sakuma didn’t even have the time to scream. Koujirou had already shifted back into the proud wolf he had become, charging at the humans with a wild growl, promising to bring them as much hell as he could. Kenya weakly nodded to answer his request, somehow managing to get up on shaky legs and shifting himself to carry both vampires out of there. Sakuma didn’t have the strength to resist, as much as he wanted nothing more than to stay, to go back to Koujirou's side and make sure he would get out of there alive, make sure that he would come back with them and they could be home together like things should be. With a low whine that sounded like an apology, Kenya forced himself to ignore Sakuma's weak protests. The screams had quickly gone quiet.

At some point, Sakuma had given up, struggling to even stay awake by then. He didn’t realize that Kenya at some point had slowed down when it was safe to do, still keeping to the shadows for their safety, he didn’t even know how much time had passed or how much they had walked. He barely had the strength to lift his head when he heard more voices, barely managed to recognize Sakiyama and Oono approaching, trying to talk to him and make sure he was still alive.

“-kuma? Sakuma? Can you hear me?”

Sakuma looked up to find Sakiyama’s concerned eyes on him, slowly nodding as he helped him get back on his feet. He staggered and almost fell over, Sakiyama letting him lean against him for support.

“Sakuma…? Are you okay- Can you walk?” Another nod. Sakiyama still gestured at Oono to come closer and pick him up, not quite trusting him to get back on his own feet.

While Oono picked him up, Sakiyama checked on both Doumen and Kenya, brow furrowing as he glanced around, now realizing that something was very wrong.

“… Where is Koujirou?”

It was all it took for Sakuma to react, trying to bolt out of Oono’s grasp with newfound strength, ignoring his startled gasp as he tried to keep him from hurting himself even more. Kenya winced, guilt already eating at him.

“Sakuma-”

“Let me go- I need to help him-!”

“You can’t-”

“They’ll take him away if I don’t help him!”

“Sakuma! Calm down- we can’t help if you panic!”

Somehow, Sakiyama managed to get through him, Sakuma stopping in his struggles to catch his breath. After taking a moment to make sure he wouldn’t do anything reckless right away, Sakiyama took a deep breath. This wouldn’t be easy.

“Sakuma… What happened? Where is Koujirou?”

“… He… He stayed behind to buy us time… He w-was fighting them a-and-”

It was all they needed to hear. With Sakuma so distressed he could hardly think straight, Sakiyama took it upon himself to handle the situation. They didn’t have the luxury of time now.

“Kenya. Go back with Doumen and explain everything to the others, we’re not far away. We’ll go look for Koujirou.”

As reluctant as he was, Kenya weakly nodded, understanding the severity of the situation. Hesitantly, he picked up his friend, making sure of shielding him from any light as he walked back to the castle.

“Sakuma? Can you take us there now?”

* * *

When they were getting close to the place of the battle, the first thing they noticed was the eerie silence. Then, the corpses Koujirou had taken care of earlier. There were broken weapons scattered on the ground, there was blood and signs of more fight. Sakuma was sure there was a new corpse on the ground now, deep slashes and bites covering the mauled body.

It was all they could find, no matter how much they tried, no matter how much they looked around and called his name.

After what felt like hours, Sakuma collapsed to his knees, the truth he was so stubbornly trying to deny dawning on him now, tears he didn’t want to acknowledge finally spilling.

Koujirou wasn’t there.


	24. 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i barely managed to write this one honestly these last few ones are being tough help

The castle was silent, an uncomfortable and suffocating tension hanging over them all.

Too much had happened in so little time to even know what to say, where to start, how to pick up the pieces of what was once their peaceful daily life.

Doumen was resting, still unconscious, but already recovering in the safety of his dark room, the tiny bat too injured to shift back just yet. After much fussing over his own injuries and a reluctant agreement to letting them help, Kenya had left to go wait at Doumen’s side for him to wake up. The bruises were painfully clear against his skin, the lack of any bigger injuries just a small relief.

None of that was enough to give Sakuma some peace of mind.

Koujirou was gone.

He still wanted to deny it, to scream that it wasn’t true, to think that soon Koujirou would just walk back in through the front door, disheveled as usual with his messy hair and dirty clothes after going hunting, bringing back whatever he had managed to catch with that proud smile of his that Sakuma was becoming so fond of.

He wasn’t even sure of how long it had been, of how much time he had spent outside looking for him, forcefully dragged back inside once the sunlight started peeking through the foliage of the trees.

He didn’t want to think that he had really lost him now. Lost him for good.

Someone had tried to talk to him. Sakuma wasn’t sure who it was or what he was saying, wasn’t even sure when he had given up and walked out of the room. All he did was curl up a bit more in the scratched and clawed corner, hold those fur covered sheets a bit closer and try to hold back the tears a bit more.

He should’ve done more, tried harder- done something at all.

It was all his fault.

They were going to pay.

* * *

Kenya hadn’t moved from his spot at Doumen’s side ever since they came back. Not even Sakiyama’s concern or Henmi’s near panic were enough to convince him to at least stand up and go eat or just take care of himself. They could only allow themselves to breath in relief when Doumen finally woke up, dazed and confused, but alive. They could only hope this was what it would take for at least Kenya to snap out of it.

Doumen still needed time to fully recover, the combination of sunlight and the humans enough to nearly push him over the edge. When the little bat awoke with a somewhat pained squeak and shifted back to his more human form, he didn’t even have the time to say anything before finding himself trapped in a hug a bit too tight.

“K-Kenya…?”

Kenya didn’t say anything, just held his friend closer as he tried to take deep breaths. Feeling him shaking, Doumen decided to stop questioning him for now, just returning the hug in an attempt to reassure him.

“Y-you… I-I thought you…” He couldn’t even bring himself to say it out loud, his ears low as his shaking got worse. Then, it all came back to Doumen- the ambush, the poor attempts at defending themselves, the humans overpowering them… He couldn’t really blame Kenya. Not like he would’ve anyways.

“Hey- i-it’s alright, I’m okay, see? I’m not hurt anymore…”

“I-it’s all… m-my fault…”

Doumen froze. He could feel the tears staining his shirt.

“That’s not true…”

“He’s- he’s g-gone because of me-”

Those words were what made him go quiet and stop entirely, glancing at Kenya, heart sinking.

“What…?” He could feel Kenya tensing up in his arms. Whatever it was, Doumen wasn’t sure if he wanted to know about it. He took a deep breath, preparing for the worst. “What… what happened…?”

Kenya forced himself to pull back, looking away from him, ears low and unable to meet his eyes. He sniffled, trying to quickly wipe away his tears like Doumen really hadn’t noticed.

“K-Koujirou… he s-stayed behind to help us g-get away…” Kenya couldn’t bring himself to keep talking. It was all Doumen needed to hear, anyways.

For what felt like hours, they were silent, Doumen just letting this knowledge sink in. Koujirou saved them. He stayed behind to save them. He sacrificed himself for them.

“It wasn’t your fault.” It was all Doumen managed to say after such an uncomfortable silence. Kenya didn’t even look at him- he couldn’t bring himself to believe that.

“I should’ve helped him.”

* * *

Henmi had enough of just standing by and watching everything fall apart. And when trying to talk to a grief-striken Sakuma didn't help, he made up his mind. He would be taking matters into his own hands now.

“Where are you going?"

... Of course things couldn't be just that easy. With a long, frustrated sigh, Henmi turned around, being met with Sakiyama's partly concerned, partly skeptical glare.

"I'm going to get help and we're going to find Koujirou.” He spoke like it was a fact, like he didn’t doubt for a second that it would happen.

“How are you so sure that it’ll work? What if he…” Sakiyama clearly didn’t see it that way, the implication behind his words clear even once he trailed off. Henmi scoffed, like even just considering that possibility was absurd and unthinkable. He stopped in the middle of adjusting his cape, frowning as he glanced away.

“… I won’t believe it until I see a body.”

Even knowing that when it came to those kind of humans, they might never find one.

Sakiyama silently stared at him. Henmi tried not to let it get to him- he had already made up his mind, if Sakiyama wanted to deter him from going then so be it, he wouldn’t back down now. Letting out a soft sigh, he just pulled on the hood of his cape and turned to the door.

“If you want to-”

“I’m coming with you.”

Henmi stopped in his tracks, right as he was about to open the door. Then, he glanced at Sakiyama.

“Are- are you sure?”

Sakiyama nodded without hesitation.

“I want to help. Two is better than one, right?”

Well, he did have a point- it would probably be for the best anyways, especially after what happened so recently. As much as Henmi would’ve rather have gone alone over putting someone else in danger, he knew how stupid of an idea it was. Another sigh and he nodded, opening the door to step outside, Sakiyama now following close behind him.

“Fine… I guess it’s better like this anyways, with you being a spirit and all that… Let’s hurry- we don’t have the luxury of time.”

They had to move quickly, for his sake. Henmi just hoped they wouldn’t be too late.


	25. 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i uuuuuuh ok i had no idea how to actually write this one chapter and i was stumped for a good while on it hhhhhhhh more notes at the bottom so i'm not spoiling it

“Henmi? Sakiyama? What… what are you doing here?”

Saying Kidou was surprised to see them was an understatement. They weren’t exactly neighbors to just come on a whim whenever they felt like it, much less when it was someone other than Sakuma. He already had a bad feeling about this.

Henmi was hesitant to speak, still not quite processing the situation that led to this. Kidou didn’t like it one bit.

“A-alright- I don’t know if last time Sakuma already told you about Koujirou- I don’t really know why he wouldn’t anyways, considering everything that happened since he found him but- w-well, i-it’s complicated, alright? Sort of- anyways-”

Sakiyama sighed. Kidou stared.

This was going to take some time.

* * *

Once they actually managed to explain themselves, enlisting Kidou’s help was easier than either of them expected. After he had left, things had been awkward, to say the least, Sakuma the only one to have any real contact with him, relaying messages back and forth whenever he left to visit and check on things. Maybe he was too busy, maybe he just forgot, but Kidou didn’t really come visit anymore. Neither of them minded, even if it did hurt a bit. They still saw him as their friend regardless.

Henmi just hoped this would be enough.

To their relief, Kidou had been very quick to agree to help, all it took was Sakiyama’s surprisingly calm explanation when Henmi was still a bit too frantic and distressed to properly explain himself. There was something akin to rage burning in his eyes, visible even with how well he managed to keep himself composed and seemingly calm, like a storm was raging just beneath the skin at the thought alone of such cruelty. Henmi really wanted to hope that it was a good thing.

Kidou must’ve noticed his worry, brow furrowing and frown on his face as he placed a hand on his shoulder, almost startling Henmi in the process.

“We’ll find him. We’ll find him and get this solved.”

Henmi just sighed, glancing away. They were already running out of options.

“I hope you’re right…”

* * *

After much arguing and deliberating with the rest of Kidou’s odd friends, they had finally reached an agreement. With some of them a bit too eager to help any of Kidou’s friends no matter what, Kidou somehow managed to convince them to stay behind and keep an eye around the area- something logical, at least, they didn’t know where the humans had gone or how far they had gotten. Covering as much area as possible was only logical and it made sense for them. Not like they were very happy at the thought of Kidou going alone and potentially putting himself in danger. Both Henmi and Sakiyama had to promise plenty of times that they would be careful and try to stay out of unnecessary danger as much as possible. Kidou just sighed, long and tired, like it was something he was already used to, much to his chagrin.

With everything sorted out and a confirmation that none of them would just go look for him in a panic, Kidou felt more at ease leaving with Henmi and Sakiyama. As trustworthy as Sakuma was, sometimes he just needed some extra help- especially when his emotions got the better of him. He almost didn’t want to think about how he must be feeling now, after everything that happened in so little time…

“And… how important is Koujirou to him?” Kidou already had a fairly decent idea, a gut feeling of sorts. Seeing Henmi almost slip on his steps and Sakiyama tense ever so slightly was already a confirmation on its own.

“He… very important. Very.” As much of a vague answer as it was, that was enough for Kidou.

“Sakuma… did he…”

Henmi nodded, grimly serious. Kidou inwardly cursed. He really wasn’t looking forward any of this.

* * *

What meet them upon their return to the castle was a mess of screaming and fighting.

Sakuma was almost like a wild animal, screaming at them to let him go, trashing and fighting as he tried to get out of Oono’s grip, anything they tried to say falling on deaf ears. It was a surprise he hadn’t resorted to biting yet, even if it wouldn’t really do anything against Oono’s thick and rough skin, his strong grip the only thing keeping Sakuma from running off to do who knows what. Everyone else seemed to have already given up on trying to get through him, Doumen the only one really making an attempt to at least talk to him, as unreasonable as Sakuma was being.

“Sakuma- what the hell is going on?”

Kenya perked up at the sound of Henmi’s voice, the first to turn around and rush towards him, eyes wide as he kept glancing back at Sakuma, as if already expecting him to murder someone.

“Henmi- where did you two go? Nevermind- talk some sense into him before he goes on a rampage!”

Well, that did explain a few things. And raised even more problems. Kenya was a bit too panicked to realize that if none of them had managed to calm down the raging vampire, whatever Henmi or Sakiyama could say now would hardly make a difference.

Kidou didn’t hesitate to step closer, just waiting for Sakuma to tire himself out enough to listen. At least that didn’t take much longer. He was already panting and trying to catch his breath by the time he realized Kidou was there.

The tears still dripping down his cheek didn’t go unnoticed.

“Ki… Kidou…? What…”

When it seemed safe to do so, Oono decided to take the risk and let go of Sakuma. To his and everyone else’s relief, Sakuma didn’t take the chance to run off. Maybe he was just too tired to keep trying, collapsing to his knees within moments. Kidou knelt at his side, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Sakuma didn’t push him away.

“Henmi and Sakiyama came to ask for help.” The surprise was clear on Sakuma's face, staring at them with a wide eye, not finding the right words just yet. “It’s okay. We’ll bring him back, wherever he is.”

Sakuma looked down, a faint and bitter, almost hopeless, smile on his face. He was trying really hard to believe his words, as if they truly were what little scrap of hope he could still find.

“You better be right on that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really wanted to write henmi and sakiyama's journey there but??? i just couldn't find a way to make it fit let alone finish it in time to post. after i'm done with this fic i'd kinda like to write a one shot about it though? let me know if that's something anyone would be interested in reading please


	26. 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're doing better than last chapter now! here hoping the pacing won't be off with this gnfjdgndkgnfjdk

“Anything yet?”

Sakiyama just shook his head. Sakuma clenched his fist, already shaking in anger before he managed to take a deep breath.

“Alright… thank you.” His words came out through gritted teeth. Sakiyama must’ve noticed just how badly affected he was, just muttering some weak excuse to leave. Sakuma just silently appreciated not being pushed and prodded on the matter.

How long had it been since that day, since he had lost Koujirou and started searching for him so desperately? He didn’t know anymore, had lost count after the first week. Time was starting to blur, days blending together and nights looking all the same.

They had to beg him to take care of himself, drag back animals they had hunted down for him to eat. Sakuma couldn’t help but think of those few occasions when Koujirou had brought him something with a smile on his face, the first few real ones after who knows how long. He couldn’t help but wonder if they would ever do that again, if Koujirou would ever go back to freely hunting and running around. If he would ever see that smile again.

Just thinking about it made his heart ache a bit more.

He had to get Koujirou back… or die trying.

Even when with each day that passed without news, with each attempt gone wrong and to waste, it was getting harder and harder to believe any of that. To think that Koujirou really would come back to him.

Sakuma hadn’t realized that he was no longer alone in the room until he felt the hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze for comfort. It didn’t really help, but at least he wasn’t alone.

“You better be here to tell me that you found something…” He sounded far too weak and miserable for his words to be taken seriously as any kind of treat.

“You need to rest… you can’t keep going like this.” Kidou’s voice was soft, laced with hidden concern that only a few could find. Sakuma just let out a humorless chuckle in answer, bitter and cold.

“I won’t- not until I find him. I have to find him.”

He felt guilty, responsible for it all. Kidou should’ve seen it coming, and yet…

“We’ll find him- but you need to help yourself first. How are you supposed to help him if you’re about to collapse?” He really wished that just talking some sense into him wasn’t this hard, that his friend wasn’t this impossibly stubborn. Sakuma didn’t say anything yet, his head hanging low and his hair a mess. It was almost unsettling, seeing how little he was caring now, seeing what he had allowed himself to turn into.

“… I couldn’t even tell him that I loved him too.”

He almost sounded like he had given up. Like he really couldn’t find any more hope to desperately cling to.

“You will tell him- we’ll find him and you’ll tell him. But you need to take care of yourself first- you can’t help him if you won’t help yourself.” Kidou wasn’t sure what was holding him back from just dragging him himself to a bed to rest. He was surprised he could even manage to keep the desperation out of his voice.

Finally, Sakuma looked up at him, his eye looking as dead as he must’ve felt.

“You promise?” His voice was one breath away from cracking. “Do you promise that we’ll find him?”

He shouldn’t. He really shouldn’t, not when the odds were all against them, when it was more likely to find a corpse or a pelt- if anything at all.

“… I promise.”

If it was what it took to help Sakuma at least a little, Kidou would hold his tongue and give his word, even when it might be nothing more than a fragile, crumbling and empty promise.

“Alright…” Sakuma didn’t really look like he believed him, as much as he wanted to. He stood from his chair on shaky legs, Kidou moving to hold him before he fell over and holding back a concerned lecture.

Slowly and carefully, they made their way to the closest bedroom, Kidou keeping a close eye on him as he guided him there. He could only hope that no one actually slept there- even if they probably wouldn’t really care with just how badly Sakuma was doing. They were all concerned enough for him as it was.

Sakuma passed out even before hitting the bed, Kidou struggling a bit to push him on it and pull the covers over his sleeping figure. He really hoped this would be a good start, making a mental note of having something to feed him ready for when he woke up. Whenever that would be.

Quietly sighing to himself, he checked the curtains to be completely sure that not even the slightest sliver of light would slip in, then carefully closing the door behind him as he stepped outside. That was one less worry, at least.

He didn’t have the time to take that many steps away from it when a very distressed-looking Kenya almost ran into him, barely stopping in time, a bat barely hanging from his messy hair for dear life. He had already opened his mouth to speak up when Kidou shushed him a bit too frantically, silently pointing at the door before gesturing at him to walk away. At least Kenya had enough common sense left to understand what he meant and wait for them to be far away enough before actually speaking.

“Is he… is he sleeping now…?”

Kidou nodded, still throwing concerned glances at the hallway they just left, like he was waiting for Sakuma to step out in a whirlwind of rightful fury and fear as soon as he had recovered his energy. Kenya just sighed relieved, the bat finally letting go of his hair to shift back, Doumen now looking up at Kidou with that same concern.

“How is he doing?”

“Not good. He really isn’t taking it well…” He wasn’t surprised anymore that Henmi and Sakiyama had been almost desperate to ask for help. Even without having met Koujirou in person yet, he could tell the uncomfortable tension hanging over them wasn’t just out of worry for Sakuma. He was just the one taking it the worst- for good reasons, too.

Then, Doumen perked up, tugging on Kidou’s shoulder to get his attention, his frown both serious and determined.

“What-”

“We- we might have a lead now.”

Kidou blinked, staring at him, like his words hadn’t quite settled in. Then, his eyes widened.

“… How?”

Now the two of them looked a bit uncomfortable, glancing away. That was telling enough, even before they answered. Kenya spoke first, ears low and shame creeping on his face.

“We… we went looking for humans to… eavesdrop hoping that they would say something useful…?”

They both shrunk under his glare.

“That-”

“We know- it was dangerous. But…” Doumen frowned, looking down, fists clenched. “Koujirou got caught to help us… we had to do something! We were careful anyways- we kept our distance and hid, no one spotted us!”

Despite his shame, Kenya looked just as serious and determined as him. Kidou was ready to tell them that they weren’t at fault and that putting themselves into so much reckless danger would just be counterproductive, but he just sighed instead. It wouldn’t really be of help when it was already done, anyways.

“Alright… what did you find out?”

They already looked much more at ease, only to shake it off and look grimly serious within seconds. Whatever they found, it couldn’t have been that good, especially not when Kenya looked like he was trying so hard not to be sick. For his sake, Doumen decided to be the one to speak instead, looking almost furious.

“They… they said something about hunting creatures and bringing them to a big city to the south-west by the sea… something about a market for this sort of thing there… t-they were really interested in finding werewolves… so…”

It was all he needed to say. As sick as the thought alone made him feel, Kidou nodded, holding back his own anger.

“… Thank you- both of you. It might be what we needed.”

They shared a surprised glance at his words, not quite believing him.

“Really?”

Kidou just nodded again, turning around to head towards the library.

“Keep an eye on Sakuma- I have to go check something, quickly.”

He really hoped they were right.


	27. 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> where the hell did the week go it's already friday??? what  
> anyways please enjoy it's getting slowly closer to one of my favorite parts gfnjdkngdfkngdf

Kidou wasn't really sure on how much time he had spent hiding away in that library, pouring sweat and blood over all the maps and books he could find. All he really cared about now was what little progress they had finally managed to make- as small and meaningless as the information Doumen and Kenya had managed to provide could seem, it was still a step forward, still a lead in what he hoped would be the right direction.

They had taken notes in the past, of the humans and their heinous acts, of every little detail and every wrongdoing they brought upon their kind, no matter how small or big it was. As gruesome as the knowledge was, it was in times like this that he was grateful for doing it.

South-west. A city by the sea. Docks and plenty of activity, coming and going. A market for creatures like werewolves.

There was one in the maps and books that matched the rough description of it. In hindsight, it made perfect sense, as disgusting as the thought alone of such a place was. There was no reason for them to go somewhere else, not when they had the perfect spot right there. As small as the chance of Koujirou being taken there might be, they would have to try.

He was in the middle of compiling information and figuring out what the best course of action from then on would be, trying to find a way to quickly and safely get in, find Koujirou and get out, when the door nearly slammed open, startling him and making him drop one of his books and knock some papers to the floor in the process. He muttered a curse as he leaned down to pick everything up, not turning to look at whoever it was just yet.

“Is it true?”

Kidou stopped in his tracks, standing up to turn around, finally facing Sakuma. He still looked miserable and awful, his hair still a mess and his skin a tad pale, yet there was a spark in his good eye, shining with a mix of fury and determination. So he had already heard about it- Kidou wasn’t really surprised, he never expected either Kenya or Doumen to be able to keep the secret, much less from him of all the people.

“Did they really…?”

Kidou quietly sighed, gesturing at Sakuma to come closer. He didn’t hesitate, stepping forward with newfound energy.

“I… I think so. Their description matches up with a city known for this sort of market.” He willingly ignored the way Sakuma's fists clenched, shaking like he was barely holding back from breaking something. Or someone. “It’s big and a popular location for this sort of things- there is nothing confirmed… but the more I look at it, the more I’m convinced that there is a pretty good chance of it- this might be the place we’re looking for.”

At first, Sakuma didn’t say anything, didn’t make a single noise. All he did was stare at the scattered papers and maps, at the open books and Kidou’s neat handwriting in his new notebook. He let out a long sigh, then took a deep breath, doing his hardest to just keep his temper under control, to keep himself from actually lunging at the next human he saw in his fury. He opened his eye once he felt himself a bit more in control, even when Kidou could still see his hands shaking, knowing it wasn’t just from his lack of nutrients. Then, he took a better, closer look at everything, at all the old and new information, trying to stay focused. Koujirou needed him, this wasn’t the right time to lose his temper and go on a rampage. He could save that for later, for when he found the scum that really did deserve it.

Eventually, his hands reached for the bigger map, fingers carefully tracing the inked lines, eye closely studying the various locations, moving from their home to the city by the sea, the art so innocent-looking it almost made him sick just looking at it, knowing what truly was hiding in the darkness of the ink and polished human artwork.

When he looked at Kidou, his eye was blazing. He was determined, now more than ever. It was all Kidou needed to know before even hearing his next words.

“Alright. We’ll do it- we’ll go there and get Koujirou back. No matter what.”

* * *

He huffed annoyed as he finally slipped out from his room, grinning to himself as he watched the clueless people inside hadn’t even noticed his absence. It was just a matter of patience by now- no matter how hard they tried to keep him hidden inside, it was laughably easy to sneak out and keep to the shadows, going unseen even in a city like that. Some might argue that it was dangerous, stupid and completely unnecessary. He would disagree with that anyways- as long as he was having fun and staying out of life threatening trouble, then he would be alright.

Sure, the activities going on there were disgusting and deplorable, and sure, he could try to help to the best of his abilities- and even did, on a few occasions when it wouldn’t cost him his own skin, but it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, not always work the risk, anyways. Those damn people were getting better at protecting their property, he could hardly get any closer without the danger of being spotted and becoming the next one hanging over his head. They were starting to make it hard to even walk around as freely as he used to, the city growing at an alarming rate. It was really starting to get on his nerves.

Maybe he should find a way to get out of there without being caught. The idea was tempting, really, almost too tempting. He hated the thought alone of having to spend his life trapped there.

It was while he walked in the darkness, toying with that fleeting idea, that he noticed them, pressing himself against a wall just in time to go unnoticed. His eyes narrowed at the sight, barely holding back a snarl. Their celebration, their slurred words and drinks like they had just won a war, it all disgusted him.

So there was someone new in the city now. And he didn’t like that.


	28. 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're getting places yall!! i never know what to write here but uh i hope you're enjoying this because my favorite part is coming soon :)

At a first glance, the city was thriving, filled with life, its streets and plazas hosting rich markets and bringing in all sort of people. It was rich, prosperous and wonderful, the perfect place to settle in and start a new life or even just make some business.

All it would take was ignoring the darkest corners of the city, its back alleys and hidden entries keeping secret a whole new and far more sinister side. The screams and screeches of creatures permeated the air, the stench of blood and death heavy in it. People where just used to turning a blind eye to it and going on with their life- it was just how things worked there.

He wasn’t sure how long it had been since he was first brought there, how many people he had seen regarding him with nothing but disgust and that same intrigue one would hold with an exotic animal. If they wanted to look at him as nothing more than an animal, then so be it- he would act like one. He would snarl and fight if that’s what it took. Even if things could only get worse. It’s not like he had much left to hope for by now.

Busy as he was nursing his new wounds, he didn’t notice he was being observed until the smug grin was right in front of him.

“You really look miserable in there.” He just snarled in answer. The stranger wasn’t bothered by it- not like he had a reason to be with the steel bars between them. “Don’t look so angry, I’m not here to fight you- not like you’d be able to. Anyways…”

* * *

With Sakuma awake and there with him, Kidou had an easier time just going over the information and maps. He could tell Sakuma was trying his hardest to stay put and help despite how much he just wanted to go ahead and storm in where Koujirou was kept prisoner. It was an admirable effort, really.

Unfortunately, it was all gone as soon as they had found the fastest route for the city and decided that it was worth checking.

Somehow –not without effort-, Kidou had managed to convince Sakuma not to rush towards that city with nothing but hatred and a will to kill in his mind. Somehow, getting him to at least eat first just enough to have the strength to do anything was even harder than stopping him. He almost wondered how any of them managed to keep him under control with just how stubborn he was.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Sakuma almost reluctantly nodded, sighing as he wiped the blood off his mouth with a sleeve. He wasn’t sure how many animals he had to hunt down to eat. He didn’t want to think about how Koujirou would’ve liked to eat the dried meat after the first time he tried it.

“… We should get going.”

“Sakuma- we need to have a plan first. We can’t just-”

“We can’t keep waiting.” He wasn’t going to sit down and let time pass. “Koujirou needs us now- if we keep waiting-”

“Sakuma.” He turned to face Kidou, only holding his tongue when seeing just how serious he was. “We’ll just put ourselves in danger that way. We need to think this through first.”

Sakuma looked like he wanted to scream at him. Somehow, he managed to take a deep breath and sit still.

“Alright, then. What do you suggest?”

Well, that was progress, at least. Now that Sakuma wasn’t being so stubborn, Kidou would gladly take his chance to speak.

“Not everyone can go- we’d be putting everyone in needless danger- that and we still have to find Koujirou.”

Sakuma sighed, clenching his fists, taking a slow, deep breath, just trying to stay calm. He understood what Kidou was implying. He didn’t like it… but they had no choice, not if they wanted to get in and get out to tell the tale. Not if they really wanted to save Koujirou.

“Alright…”

Within hours, Kidou and Sakuma were prepared, standing in front of the castle's door and waving goodbye before heading out, ready for the long travel. Maybe deciding to go alone, just the two of them against a cruel city of humans, wasn't the best idea, far too risk for anyone to see them go without doubts and protests. No matter, this was for the best. Sakuma refused to endanger and lose someone else as well.

One was enough.

“Sakuma… We’ll find him. No matter what.”

Sakuma sighed, just trying to keep himself together at least for a little longer.

“I hope you’re right…”

He had to be. For Sakuma and Koujirou's sake. Kidou didn’t even want to think of what would happen if they were wrong- if they didn’t find Koujirou.

They had to make it work, one way or another. No matter what.

* * *

When the stranger left, hidden by the shadows, he sighed, slumping back against the bars of his cage, already tired just from talking, as little as he did. He didn’t want to trust him, couldn’t trust anyone in that forsaken, rotting place, but… if there was at least one face friendlier than others, someone who at least wasn’t there just for his own sadistic and twisted wishes, then… he would take it. It was more than what he had been hoping for, anyways.

With that, he allowed himself to fall into a dreamless sleep, for as long as they would let him be.

* * *

It had taken days to reach the city, now finally within sight, its figure almost mocking them with its darker secrets stashed away from the daylight. Sakuma hated it already, didn’t want to have anything to do with it. He almost wished not to have come there at all, only pushing that thought away when he reminded himself of their objective. There was no going back now.

“Come on, let’s go. We can’t waste any time.”

Kidou just silently nodded. They would move quickly in the shadows of the night.


	29. 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been waiting to post this for so long!!!!

Going unnoticed in the city was far easier than Sakuma expected, no one sparing a second glance at the two hooded figures. It was almost starting just how easy it was for the two of them to get in and walk around like that- and it made him angry, knowing that had it been anyone else, like Kenya or Oono, they would’ve been hunted down on sight there.

Even if actually getting into the city was easy, finding their way around and figuring out where they needed to go was much, much harder. Of course they had to hide well an underground market for creatures, it’s not like they would just go and openly announce it to everyone on the street- he just didn’t think it would be this well-hidden.

Sakuma wasn’t sure of how long they had spent just looking around and trying to find even the slightest hint without talking to anyone. Even with how easy it was to walk around so freely, having a conversation without showing his fangs was another thing entirely- something they wouldn’t get out of with that same ease.

They must have been looking for at least a few hours already when the sky quickly shifted from orange to black, stars already shining bright. It was almost ironic how much of a peaceful night it was.

Eventually, they retreated to a secluded alley, making sure no one was nearby before pulling down their hoods to take a break from their fruitless search. Sakuma had been pacing for a while, a hand running through his hair and messing it all up, angrily muttering to himself as he tried to just think. Kidou could tell it was already getting to him again, what little hope he had found starting to fickle.

“Sakuma…” He was ignored, Sakuma still looking around, almost desperately trying to find something, anything that could help in any way. “Sakuma- listen to me.” His voice was firmer now, snapping Sakuma out of his thoughts, his eye finally fixed on him. “Breathe. We’re already closer to him than we expected. We just have to think now.”

Sakuma didn’t look convinced, but managed a soft nod anyways. Finally, he sat down on a used crate, ignoring the creaking of the wood as he sighed, just trying to do as Kidou said and keep breathing. It was easier said than done.

“Calm down- we’ll figure it out. We probably didn’t look in the right places for it, that’s all.”

Kidou really hoped they just hadn’t looked enough or where they had to. He refused to even entertain the idea that they had been wrong about this the whole time and just wasted precious hours so easily in the desperation to find and help Koujirou. What if… what if it was too late now…?

He couldn’t think about that. They had to keep looking, that was all.

“Are you sure about that…? I mean- how can finding a black market be this damn hard?”

Sakuma had gotten up in his frustration, so worked up he turned around to kick the old crate he had been sitting on in his anger and-

“You’re looking for the black market?”

-he froze, not even having lifted his foot from the ground just yet, Kidou just as tense as he was.

“Up here, bloodsuckers.”

Their heads snapped up, finally finding a figure standing on the alley’s wall, the distinctly canine ears and tail a clear contrast against the moonlight.

“What did you say?”

Maybe under other circumstances Sakuma would’ve been angry or annoyed at most. Now, however? In an unknown city where likely everyone was an enemy? Now he was on edge, worried and prepared to fight for their lives if it came down to it, fists clenched and fangs bared, a clear threat even without words. He wasn’t going to take any chances.

The wolf just sneered, getting comfortable as he sat down on the edge of the wall, tail swishing in the air behind him without a care in the world. Either he was stupid, or he really didn’t consider them a threat.

“Relax, I’m not going to rat you out- I don’t care what someone like you is doing here.” He took his time just looking them over carefully, tilting his head. “What _are_ you two doing here, though? It’s not like any non-human walks in here like it’s nothing.”

“It’s none of your business.”

He just frowned, resting his chin on his palm.

“You want to go to the black market, don’t you? The one for creatures and shit? Why would vampires like you want to go there?”

Great. So he had been overhearing too. Sakuma groaned, not really willing to put up with any of this, really. Kidou wisely decided to take over, not even needing to look at Sakuma to be sure.

“We… we’re looking for a friend. He was kidnapped and we believe he was brought here.”

Sakuma really had to hold back from hissing at him for oversharing. As much as he didn’t trust this weird guy and wanted nothing to do with him –or anyone else in this city, really-, he had to swallow his pride and anger for once, knowing they needed help now. He took a deep breath, finally looking at the stranger with a calmer expression and no longer looking ready to rip his guts out at the first wrong look.

“He’s a werewolf. We heard that this city is where most of those… _trades_. Are done.” The word felt so wrong coming from his lips, it almost felt like it burned him just by uttering it, disgusted with himself for even just considering calling it anything other than the cruel and inhuman thing it was.

At least the werewolf was taking them a bit more seriously now, actually looking like he was thinking it over.

“I’ve seen some werewolves on my… walks.” Now he was just trying to hide something. Sakuma just hoped it wouldn’t come back to bite them in the ass. “Be more specific, it’s not like I read minds- how does he look like?”

Sakuma just glanced away, his anger quickly fading in favor of guilt and remorse as soon as he had to speak up.

“… Tall, muscular… blue eyes, messy hair… a… a lot of scars, two of them going over his right eye…”

Just talking about him made him realize just how much he missed him.

The stranger hummed as he glanced away, just trying to recall anything important. Then, his eyes widened.

“… Are you talking about Koujirou? That idiot?”

Sakuma's eye went wide, mouth gaping as he looked up to him.

“You- y-you know him-?”

He casually nodded in answer, as if what he just admitted wasn’t anything noteworthy.

“I’ve seen him a few times. I think I know where he is.”

Sakuma could feel his heart trying to leap out of his throat, beating wildly against his ribs.

He knew Koujirou- he had seen Koujirou and knew where he was.

“Please- tell me where he is! I need to help him!” All pride and anger was forgotten. Sakuma was ready to do anything to get Koujirou back now that he was so painfully close to seeing him again. He was regarded with a somewhat skeptical and weary glare in answer to his pleas.

“I can’t just tell you like that- you’ll get killed if you just barge in.”

“I have to try.”

He wasn’t backing down now.

For a moment, the werewolf just stared at him, trying to decide if he was just determined or actually crazy. Or stupid. After a good while spent just on some internal debate, he sighed. Then, he jumped down, smoothly landing right in front of them, grin now back on his face and sending chills down Sakuma's spine.

“How about a deal?”

Sakuma raised an eyebrow as his eye narrowed, skepticism written all over his face.

“… A deal?”

He just nodded, his grin not wavering.

“I help you find your mutt and in exchange I get out of this shit hole with your little group.”

Sakuma bristled at the way he referred to Koujirou so mockingly, like he really wasn’t anything worth a shred of respect. He still reminded himself to stay calm, at least long enough to negotiate.

“And why do you need us to get out?”

That seemed to get under his skin, if the way he tensed up ever so slightly was any indication. He just scoffed, still trying to act like nothing was wrong.

“None of your business. So, do you want my help or not?”

Sakuma sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, just trying to keep his cool and not pester this guy any further with questions. It was his best lead now… and with how close they were to finding Koujirou now- he really wasn’t going to take any chances. It was now or never.

“Alright, alright- but I’m warning you, one wrong move and I won’t hesitate to kill you. I’m not putting Koujirou in danger because you decided to do something funny-”

“Geez, alright- I get it, your boyfriend will be fine if we hurry up.”

Sakuma blinked, staring at him as he nonchalantly turned around to start walking. Then, he spluttered, no coherent words coming from his mouth. Kidou sighed, just gently pushing him to start walking. The wolf looked completely unapologetic about it, even grinning when he turned his head to look at them.

This was not going to be an easy alliance.

“Oh- by the way.” He casually added as he kept walking. “Name’s Fudou. Fudou Akio.”


	30. 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeey I almost forgot to post but here we are now :)

True to his word, Fudou did in fact lead them to the worst part of the city, slipping through unseen doors and alleys, keeping to the shadows as they walked. Sakuma still refused to take his eye off him, refused to trust him so blindly when one wrong step could cost all of them their lives. Kidou was just as vigilant as him, understanding his worries and just as unwilling to lower his guard in such a critical moment.

If the city looked polished, clean and lively at a first glance, its underground streets and markets hidden just beneath the surface were its rotten core, all kind of disgusting human beings attracted to it like flies to fruit, nothing but greed in their eyes.

Right before walking into the worst part of the city, Fudou stopped them and pulled them into an alley, a finger to his mouth in a silent request to keep quiet. Then, he tiptoed closer to the entrance, back pressed against a wall and peeking from the corner. When no one seemed to be coming any time soon, he relaxed just a bit and turned to look at them.

“Alright- we need to be more careful from now on, got it? This isn’t like the rest of the city anymore, it’ll be much easier for them to realize that none of us is human.”

Of course it couldn’t be easy for once. Sakuma sighed, already resigned to actually having to trust and listen to this guy.

“Fine- what do you suggest, then?”

Fudou just eyed him, an idea already forming in his mind. Sakuma did not like that one bit.

* * *

Among the crowd of disgusting, rotten people, filled with filthy men decked in all sort of weapons and laughing at the trapped creatures screeching in their cages, the cloaked figure walked unnoticed, slipping between the dirty, sweaty bodies, hood pulled down to hide most of his face. Soon, he opened a door, silently walking inside after a quick glance just to make sure no one had noticed him, locking it behind him. Then, he opened his cloak, letting the two bats fall off and breathe. A moment or two later, they shifted back to their normal forms, Fudou pulling down his hood as he watched them, raising an eyebrow.

“Come on, that wasn’t so bad.”

Sakuma just weakly glared at him.

“You weren’t the one stuck in there.” He ignored Fudou’s complains, standing up to take a good look around. “Anyways- what is this place?”

“Just a storage- it hasn’t really been used lately, so I just started using it for myself. I think the owner died or something.” Fudou just shrugged, like it really wasn’t a big deal. “We can hide in here for the time being- but we have to be careful, you never know when they might find out.”

“Alright… now what?”

“Now you two wait here and I go make sure that he’s still there- we can’t risk moving around without knowing for sure.”

Sakuma just clenched his fists, ready to protest- after all the effort to find Koujirou and come to get him back he’d have to just sit back and wait? Risk letting him get any more hurt than what he already must be?

“Sakuma.” Kidou’s voice stopped him from immediately protesting without thinking. He knew already what Kidou wanted to tell him, knew deep down that what Fudou was suggesting was the most logical course of action, no matter how much he hated it. With a soft, resigned sigh, Sakuma just silently nodded, sitting down as he looked away, no longer willing to argue. At least he wasn’t going to rush into a fight any time soon- hopefully.

With Sakuma slightly calmer –at least as far as they could tell-, Kidou turned to Fudou, who was standing with his arms crossed and tapping a foot, ears and tail twitching.

“We’ll wait here- just try to be quick, please. We can’t afford to waste any time.”

He just scoffed, as if Kidou had just insulted his abilities.

“Yeah, yeah, I know- stop fussing so much, it’ll be fast, I’ll be back before you can even realize it.” And with that he started walking through the storage, just stopping for a moment to point at another door, somewhat hidden in the darkness. “By the way- if you need to get out of here take that door. It’ll take you to a back alley, it’s easier to sneak out from there than going for the main street. Just keep an eye out for any humans.” And with that, he was gone, not bothering to wait for questions or even a confirmation.

They were sitting alone in the dusty storage now, just waiting and hoping for good news- the first real good news in who knows how long by now. Kidou was silent in the corner he had picked for himself, either resting or just thinking over everything that just happened. Sakuma didn’t really know, too busy just pacing the room to even care, too distressed to stay quiet and still. He was barely holding back from leaving to go look himself.

“Sakuma…” Kidou sighed as he watched him keep walking around. Sakuma might be smart, but he still couldn’t keep his temper and emotions under control.

“Do you think we can really trust him?”

It shouldn’t surprise him that that was one of Sakuma's biggest worries right now.

“… Honestly? I’m not sure. It’s still our best bet right now.” It wasn’t what would help Sakuma calm down, but it was the truth he needed to hear. “If he does take us to Koujirou, then we’ll know for sure. In any case, we’re probably better off waiting for people to start leaving before we can do anything. Even with the nighttime… we’re still far too outnumbered to do anything.”

He didn’t flinch even when Sakuma suddenly hit the wall, not caring if his hand got injured in the process. Kidou couldn’t even begin to imagine how powerless he must still be feeling, not having managed to do anything more than just finding a vague location without even having any solid proof that the search and travel wasn’t just a waste of time. He didn’t even know if Koujirou was still alive.

“If… if we don’t find him…”

Sakuma didn’t even want to finish his sentence, his voice shaking.

He couldn’t accept that- he refused to. He had to find Koujirou.


	31. 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:3c

When they heard the door slowly opening, Kidou and Sakuma were already on their feet, tense and ready to fight, no matter what. They only managed to relax ever so slightly when Fudou peeked into the room through the back door, quickly slipping into the storage and closing the door behind him.

“So? What did you find? Is he-?” Sakuma only cut himself off when Fudou raised his hands, just trying to placate him enough to at least talk.

“Yes- yes, I found him, alright?” He had nearly snapped, not quite looking at him in the eye, his whole body tense. That wasn’t a good sign. “We- we need to hurry, alright? He…”

Sakuma didn’t like that, his heart in his throat, trying to claw its way out.

“W-what’s wrong…?”

Fudou just took a deep breath.

“He’s not doing well. We need to hurry before they decide he’s worth more dead than alive.”

And for a moment, Sakuma forgot how to breathe.

“Take us there- now.” Kidou reacted before Sakuma could, and Sakuma was silently grateful for it. His mind was already running wild with the possibilities, each less pleasant than the previous one- each ending un a very unpleasant note, to say the least. Fudou just nodded, pointing at the back door.

“Come on- shift back and let’s go before things turn ugly.” They didn’t need to be told twice.

With Fudou's knowledge of the city and agility as a werewolf, getting around was as easy as breathing, the rooftops providing an excellent cover from anyone still on the streets. Crossing the streets until they reached their destination was a matter of minutes at most.

Sakuma was definitely not prepared when Fudou finally opened the door, much less when they walked in, old cages filling the cramped space, some rusty, some empty, some looking like whatever was being kept inside had died long ago. It was not reassuring in the least.

When they finally found the cage they were looking for, Sakuma's eye widened, his breath hitching and his heart nearly stopping.

Koujirou was slumped against the bars of the cage, barely conscious, blood both dry and fresh hiding the worst of his scars, bruises and injuries, caked on his fur with dirt and dust. It was just as bad as the chains digging into his wrists, the collar around his neck and the muzzle strapped to his head as tight as possible.

Sakuma wanted to throw up.

Ignoring whatever Fudou and Kidou were saying, he rushed closer to the cage, desperate as he clung to the bars, tears pricking at his eye.

“K… Koujirou…?”

The mention of his name caught his attention, even if just barely, Koujirou lifting his head just enough to actually look at him. Then, his eyes widened, his body suddenly shaking, forcing himself to get closer despite the pain and the chains trying to keep him in place.

“Sa…kuma…? Y-you…” His voice sounded just as awful as he looked- low, raspy, shaky, filled with pain and disbelief, all of it muffled by the muzzle. It hurt Sakuma so much to just hear that.

“I-I’m here- i-it’s okay, w-we’re here to get you out...” Sakuma reached through the bars of the cage with a shaky hand, wanting to at least touch him, reassure him that it’s real, that he’s really there for him and that they’ll get out and go back together. Koujirou didn’t hesitate to do the same- he craved the gentle touch more than anything else right there and then, chains heavy enough to make just that simple action something difficult. Sakuma didn’t want to think of how much he must have gone through already to hurt him this much. He already suspected that no one had bothered to even give him food in all this time.

His failure to protect him, to keep his promise, felt so much heavier now.

“… Y-you… you’re r-really here…”

Sakuma could almost picture a smile behind that muzzle. Somehow, that broke his heart even more. He desperately nodded, straining against the bars to better take his hand, giving it a hesitant squeeze, too afraid that something as small as that might be enough to hurt him even more. Like he could fall apart before his very eye at the slightest wrong touch.

He didn’t want to let go, not again.

“Y-yes- I-I’m here- I promise, w-we’re not leaving w-without you.” He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he did, if he left him behind knowing what kind of hell would await him in such a miserable existence, knowing he might not even have that much time left if he was forced to stay there. He refused to let that happen, no matter the cost. “Just- p-please, hold on a little longer, alright? W-we’ll find a way to get you out, I swear-”

Their conversation was cut short when they hear a lock. They all froze in place for a split second, Fudou and Kidou then scrambling to move and hide before whoever it was could find them there. Kidou had to pry Sakuma away from the cage- he knew he couldn’t stay there in plain sight, but he couldn’t let go, not now that he had Koujirou again, not now that he looked genuinely terrified just hearing that dreadful sound. Reluctantly, he had to allow Kidou to pull him away, a whispered promise to be back leaving his lips, not even sure if Koujirou had heard him or even realized that he was talking to him.

They weren’t really sure of where exactly Fudou was hiding, but it didn’t matter much as long as he wasn’t found- it was easier for the two of them to go unnoticed anyways, all it really took was shifting forms. The two bats wouldn’t even have needed to hide as much or as well as they did, the humans too interested in their creatures to even realize that they weren’t alone.

From their spot, they could barely see what they were doing, let alone hear their conversation all that well. Sakuma caught something about clients and a show, all he could really understand. He felt his blood run cold when they stopped in front of Koujirou's cage, reaching inside to grab him, looking at him like they were dealing with a stupid, feral dog.

All his grief, his guilt and sorrow- it was all forgotten for a moment. At that moment, seeing those rotten, disgusting humans hurt Koujirou even more than they already did, Sakuma could only see red, some scrap of logic and common sense still there to remind him not to rush in so recklessly, as much as he wanted nothing more than to hurt them back tenfold.

He would make them pay, he promised himself that.


	32. 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point i have no idea what i'm doing things are just happening!! please enjoy this

They were dragging Koujirou out of his cage by the chains, his struggles weak and painful to look at, his growls only met with laughter and mockery. He wasn't a threat to them, and they would take complete advantage of that.

Sakuma could hardly watch as they forced him to walk, noticing the limp he was trying to hide, seeing the way he kept his tail low as if trying to hide it- the implications that its damaged and bloodied fur carried didn't go unnoticed. The more he watched, the more Sakuma felt his blood boil.

The only reason he didn't follow them as soon as they stepped outside was Fudou grabbing him before he could even try, not paying any attention to his hisses and growls.

"Calm down, will you?" Fudou was hissing right back at him, Kidou now standing nearby after shifting back. "We can't just follow like that, we'll just get ourselves killed, you idiot!"

Sakuma relented, sighing as he shifted back. Patience definitely wasn't his strong suit by now.

“Alright, then- what do we do now, exactly?”

Fudou just gestured at the back door.

“First, we make sure no one will find us any time soon. Then, we’ll go to where they’re taking him now- I know where they’re going.”

Sakuma nodded after listening to him carefully- and then his eye narrowed.

“Wait- how do you know that?”

“Does it really matter? We can have a nice chat about this shithole of a city later if you want- we need to move now.” Fudou had been quick to shut down the argument- a bit too quick. Sakuma didn’t really like that. Ultimately, he had no choice but to save that for later and hope it wasn’t going to get them killed. He sighed, clenching his fists as he nodded.

“Fine- let’s go.”

The excitement among the human crowd didn’t go unnoticed- they were all so caught up in whatever they were interested in that no one noticed the odd trio making its way in the shadows. Sakuma didn’t like any of it, already having a bad feeling about it all.

“Hey, Fudou… What’s going on in there?” He wasn’t sure if he should be giving into his curiosity and asking, already expecting the answer to be far from pretty. He wasn’t sure why he did it anyways, but something was telling him that he needed to know- or that he would be finding out anyways.

Fudou just sighed, not stopping to talk- if anything, just walking faster. He only took a moment to glare at the crowd from the safety of their hidden path before looking around to keep looking for the best way to keep walking.

“… Ever heard of fighting rings? They’re a popular entertainment form between humans- especially here.” Sakuma could already feel his stomach sinking, his eye widening. He didn’t like the implications at all. Seeing his shock and horror, Fudou just nodded. “They like making all their little pets fight. They say the winners go for higher prices or some bullshit like that.”

The more they found out about this, the sicker Sakuma felt. He didn’t know what was holding him back anymore- other than Koujirou's safety. He silently promised to himself that the moment he was safe and away from the humans’ hands, there would be blood.

Fudou stopped them both on their tracks, gesturing to hide. They were as close as they could get to the center of the plaza without being spotted, the crowd still gathering. After taking a good look around, Fudou brought a finger to his lips, asking them to stay quiet, to then point up at the roofs. They exchanged a nod before making their way up, as silently as possible, getting up just enough to have a good view on the plaza. It was big, the crowd surrounding a large cage set up in the middle of it. As much as he hated it and still wished so badly to be wrong, Sakuma already had a good idea of what that was for.

“… What’s going to happen now?” He was almost too scared to ask. Fudou's grim expression didn’t make him feel any better.

“… It’s going to be one bloody show, for sure. They don’t want anyone to die- it’d be just lost profit for them… but there is no guarantee that they’ll manage to keep everyone alive in there. And after they’re done putting up a show for everyone they’ll move on with the auctions.” He hardly managed to keep his voice even, the disgust in it barely hidden. Sakuma silently clenched his fists, not knowing how to reply to that without trying to attack someone.

“Are you sure that’s what’s going to happen?” Kidou didn’t really want to believe him, despite the evidence in front of them. They still needed to be as sure as possible of this- they couldn’t afford any mistake if they wanted to get out of there.

“Trust me- after you’ve seen it as much as I have? You know for sure how things go here.”

That… didn’t sound good.

Neither of them wanted to ask why Fudou knew so much about that place or how long he had been in there to have seen so much. Or how he had managed to survive for as long as he did.

Sakuma forced himself to breathe and stay calm, glancing at the crowd below. He caught a glimpse of ears and fur, more werewolves being brought in for the bloody show, but he still couldn’t see Koujirou anywhere in it… and he wasn’t sure if that was good. He didn’t like not knowing where he was or what was going on- what if they got it all wrong? What if that was the last he would ever see of him?

Alright, deep breaths- they would do it, it would be alright.

“What do we do now, then?”

They needed a plan- and fast.

“Just- just give me a moment to figure something out.” Fudou was sounding a bit more frantic now, not really knowing what to do, just glancing to the crowd in search of an answer. Sakuma wasn’t liking that.

“We don’t have time-!”

“I know, I know! I’ve never really had to think of how to break someone out of there, alright?!”

And right in the middle of their panic, the crowd started cheering among the animal cries.


	33. 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't know if this chapter makes sense but here it is anyways

The crowd went wild as the wolf was thrown against the bars of the cage, slumping against them as he fell unconscious, his opponent bloodied and battered, but still standing. The humans in charge were quick to stop the fight once it was over, chains and muzzles in hand as they worked on restraining the snarling animal and pulling him out of the cage, not caring if he got any more hurt in the process, to then carry the other one out, so bloodied and injured no one could really be sure if he was even alive by then. They didn't even bother to clean up the blood before moving on with their spectacle- they had a crowd to please, after all, no time for something so useless and meaningless.

When the chains were finally off his wrists, his skin now sore and bruised, Koujirou felt no relief, dread making him feel sick to his stomach, already knowing what was about to come, knowing that if he so much as dared to take a step the wrong way it would be the end for him. They still weren't getting rid of the muzzle, sneering when he glared at them through the pain, as if daring him to touch it, to try something just to give them an excuse to punish him as they saw fit. Reluctantly, Koujirou stayed still, tense as he waited for what now looked like the inevitable. He wanted to believe that things would be alright, that now that Sakuma was there he could still find a way out and do more than just survive until the next day… but that was starting to seem nothing more than a feeble hope, already flickering and fading. And right as he was starting to believe that he was truly back to that hell, just waiting to finally die. Fate could really be cruel, giving him fleeting hope only to snatch it away right as it was within reach.

Eventually, he felt a sharp tug on the heavy collar, hard enough to make him stumble and nearly fall over. The humans were shouting, but he wasn’t listening, part of him considering just… giving up. It wasn’t like he would last much longer anyways, he had gotten lucky enough once already with Sakuma's kindness. How could he expect something like that to happen again? There was no way Sakuma would manage to get him out of there, they were surrounded by all kind of human scum by now. As much as he wanted to believe… it was impossible.

Another tug on the chain, harsher than before, forced him to finally move, walking towards the cage like they wanted, like a prisoner being sent to be executed. He wasn’t really surprised when they refused to remove the muzzle, just laughing at him like a dog being denied a treat. He did lash out and get as aggressive as he could while caged, too caught up in his own anger to really care for the consequences- it wasn’t like he actually expected to survive much longer to start caring now. They must’ve seen leaving it on as a fitting way to make him pay, like everything else they had already put him through wasn’t enough as it was.

The werewolf standing in the cage with him was scrawny and already pretty roughed up, fiery red hair still noticeable despite the dirt and blood caking it, a feral glint in his eyes barely hiding his desperation as his body tensed up, his tail twitching and swishing in the air behind him and betraying his nerves. He was ready to fight to the death if he had to, even in such a hopeless situation like theirs. This one had more fight left in him than Koujirou himself did. He must not have been trapped like this before or for too long, then.

He could already feel his stomach dropping when it finally hit him that this was it, he was about to be forced to fight again, to kill again even when he wanted nothing more than to stop spilling any blood for those disgusting, greedy creatures.

He hated it. He wanted to refuse, to turn around and scream at them, to lash out and attack them until they were nothing but the filth they already were on the inside. He wanted them to suffer, to stop this sick, disgusting blood show.

Above all else... what he truly wanted was to go home, now that he had finally found one. He wanted to go back to freely running in the forest, to read books with Sakuma and to listen as he played the piano. He wanted to hear him say 'I love you' back, even when he still couldn't believe that such a kind vampire would ever fall for a werewolf like him.

Maybe it wasn’t time to give up just yet. Maybe he could still get out of there without spilling the blood of another victim. Even if he really couldn’t… he at least had to try. He couldn’t just give up without trying to do anything that was in his power to stop this.

When the lock of the cage was finally shut and the humans started yelling at them, the werewolf lunged, claws ready, refusing to shift. Koujirou was almost taken by surprise, barely managing to dodge. He should shift if he wanted to stand any chance, too injured to really fight at the best of his abilities if he kept this form, much less when still muzzled like that… but this other werewolf wasn’t doing it. He didn’t want to fight to kill, not anymore when it was his own kind. He really wanted to hope that this other werewolf was thinking if not the same, at least something along those lines. He could end this fight so quickly and easily, his advantage too unfair for Koujirou to really do anything if he made up his mind. All it would take was one bite in the right place, bones snapping like twigs under the sheer strength of those fangs.

The werewolf kept lunging at him, yet all he was really trying to do was claw or kick him, no real intent behind his attacks. He was trying to hold back- he didn’t want to really hurt him, there was no other explanation. Knowing that just made him hate the humans in charge even more.

With no choice left and not knowing the werewolf’s real intentions other than not really wanting to fight, Koujirou had no choice but to reluctantly play along. He tried to defend himself as much as he could, tried to keep his own attacks to a minimum, dodging, jumping and blocking, disregarding the new scratches and injuries now littering his arms and hands, blood trickling down his arms. The way the werewolf tensed up whenever his claws found skin and flesh didn’t go unnoticed. Silently apologizing, Koujirou returned the attacks in kind, his own claws shredding whatever they could dig themselves into. He wanted to just drop everything and apologize when he saw him flinch at every new injury he inflicted.

With neither of them truly meaning to ever seriously injure the other, despite their circumstances, the fight had soon reached a stalemate. Koujirou would dodge and attack back, trying to just stay on the defensive and conserve what little energy he still had left, the other werewolf only going in for an attack whenever he was sure it wouldn’t end up hitting anything important. They weren’t going anywhere with this.

Their sad excuse of a fight didn’t go on as it was for much longer- the humans didn’t like it. At all. There soon were disappointed and angry yells from the crowd, demanding a real fight, demanding more blood to be spilled. It should’ve been obvious that it wouldn’t work, but at least for a moment, Koujirou truly wanted to believe that they could at least buy some time, find a way out.

When the ones in charge decided to open the cage, weapons ready in hand as they prepared to walk in there, the werewolf stuck in there with him just as tense as he was, Koujirou knew already that they had run out of time. Even when he tried to step back and away from them, his back was quickly met with the bars of the cage, nowhere left to run. He could still try to surrender, but… he refused to, he wouldn’t be the quiet, well behaved dog they wanted anymore.

No matter what the humans would try now, he would be ready to fight.

Right as they were closing in, weapons raised and chains in hand, the other werewolf now at his side and just as ready to fight as he was, an inhuman screech silenced the crowd.

Among the confusion, a shadow jumped from a nearby roof, two more soon following. When Koujirou saw the bat slipping through the bars of the cage, his heart stopped for a moment. He almost didn’t want to believe it, almost wanted to tell himself that he was just starting to finally hallucinate, that he had lost it and there was no way what he was seeing was real anymore.

Sakuma looked down at the humans, nothing but pure rage in his eye, rightful fury after everything they had dared to do to Koujirou- after daring to so much as lay a finger on him. He didn’t hesitate to attack, wanting nothing more than to rip their throats open, to make them suffer and pay for what they had done.

He had promised there would be hell to pay as soon as he found them, and now? He was going to keep that promise.


	34. 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's for you Chu ;)c

For a moment that felt like ages, Koujirou could only watch, eyes wide as he just tried to take in what happened in a split second. Sakuma was there, in front of him, pure fury moving him as he relentlessly attacked the humans, not caring for the consequences, only getting him out of there safe on his mind.

Then, another vampire he didn’t recognize joined them, deep red eyes startling him as they found him. Koujirou was tense, unsure of who this guy was or how trustworthy he was. The vampire noticed, yet didn’t really seem bothered about it, just giving a soft and quick bow with his head before stepping closer, not really feeling threatened by the sudden hiss.

“Hey- you’re Koujirou, right? I’m Kidou- Sakuma told you about me.” Koujirou tilted his head, staring at him. “I know- you don’t know me, but trust me, I’m here to help you.” And with that, he turned to the other werewolf, still on edge and ready to attack. His brow furrowed, eyes narrowing at the sight he hated so much. “We can help get you out of here too, if you’d like.”

The werewolf just sneered, as if he really didn’t believe his words in the slightest- hard to blame him. Kidou didn’t let it get to him, just patiently keeping up his offer. His mockery quickly devolved into confusion, like he really couldn’t believe Kidou was being serious. Now he just looked uncomfortable, stepping closer cautiously like the first wrong step would make this vampire pounce on him like a cat finding a mouse and end everything right there and then. Except it never happened. With a soft sigh of defeat, the werewolf finally decided to step closer.

“Fine…” He sounded… angry? Disappointed? Regardless, he knew he didn’t have much of a choice, he knew it would be stupid and straight up suicidal to refuse the offer. “Now what?”

“Now we go find a way out.”

The werewolf blinked, staring at him, half expecting him to say it was just a poorly planned and executed prank. No such luck.

“How- how the hell did you even get this far?!” legitimate question- one Kidou wasn’t sure on how to answer. Their conversation was cut short by the body thrown their way and nearly slamming into them, the three of them barely managing to get out of the way, letting it hit and slump against the bars. Right, better focus on the situation at hand now, answer questions later.

The crowd was into full panic mode by now, screams filling the air as people just tried to make a run for it and save their lives, no one willing to try and fight the despicable creatures now that they were effectively set loose. Among the few who still tried to fight, a brown wolf was snarling and fighting back, just trying his best to keep them away from the cage and the still living humans inside. He made his way through the crowd, pummeling through them until he was in front of the cage, ready to keep them at bay. Koujirou narrowed his eyes, just staring at him. Then, it clicked.

“… F-Fudou…?”

“So you do know him?” Koujirou nodded under Kidou’s surprised glance, earning a relieved sigh in answer. “Good… anyways, we need to get out of here- come on. Sakuma!”

He snapped out of his bloody rage when he heard his name, breathing heavily as he let the mangled corpse he was still mauling finally fall to the floor. Koujirou could only hope that none of the blood soaking his clothes was his. Kidou stepped closer, putting a hand on his shoulder just to make sure he was still with them, Sakuma almost lashing out until he actually looked at him.

“Sakuma. We’re leaving.” Kidou kept his voice even despite it all, just hoping he was getting though him. To his relief, Sakuma managed a shaky nod, his only cue that they were –hopefully- ready to go. He didn’t need to tell either of the werewolves again, they were already leaving that cursed cage before either of the vampires did. He could see how Sakuma flinched, looking away with guilt when his eye landed on the muzzle still strapped tight to Koujirou's head.

“… It’s alright.” Koujirou's soft voice startled him, his head snapping up to look at him. Despite the muzzle, Sakuma was sure he was smiling, one of his small, apologetic smiles. Even with how much he had suffered, he was still trying to help Sakuma.

“… We’ll get it off soon, I promise.” Sakuma wanted to say that it really wasn’t fine, that Koujirou didn’t deserve any of it. That he should’ve stopped it from even happening in the first place. They didn’t have time to play the victim now, though- and he hated to admit to having to wait before getting rid of that cursed muzzle and truly set him free, but… with how tight it looked, they couldn’t just stand there and try to get it off. He wasn’t going to risk any human getting their dirty hands on him again.

Koujirou only nodded in answer, Kidou and Fudou both pushing them to start moving already. They would have time to talk later.

Almost on instinct, Sakuma took his hand, giving it a hesitant squeeze and refusing to let go. Koujirou squeezed it back, just as unwilling to let go of it, at least for a long while. Sakuma wondered if he still remember the last words he had told him before all this hell came raining down on them.

Fudou quickly led them back to their temporary hiding place, just giving everyone time to catch their breath and plan an escape route without dying in the process. As soon as they were inside, Sakuma carefully led Koujirou to a nearby crate, letting him sit to rest for a while as he worked on the buckle of the muzzle.

“I’ll try to be careful- just stay still, please, alright?” He already saw how tense Koujirou was, despite his best attempts at insisting that he was fine. With a tired sigh, he gave a soft nod, nearly digging his claws into his palms as he steeled himself. Sakuma didn’t like it, but readied himself, pushing as much of Koujirou's hair as he could out of the way, taking in a sharp breath when he found the buckle, hair tangled in it and set as tight as possible. He had to force his hands to stay still as he started to undo the buckle, murmuring soft apologies whenever he heard a pained hiss. “Hold on a little longer… it’s almost-” finally, the buckle came loose. He didn’t even have the time to take it off, Koujirou grabbing and tossing it away as soon as he felt it come off, then hissing in pain as he carefully touched his face. Sakuma almost had to look away when his eye found the angry red marks where the worn leather found skin, knowing already that they wouldn’t be fading any time soon. He hated it, all of it, made him despise those humans even more, his only relief remembering that some of them were already dead by now.

With the adrenaline starting to fade, Sakuma suddenly found himself nearly knocked to the ground by a desperate Koujirou, disregarding his own injuries as he clung to Sakuma, held him as tight and close as he could manage, ears low and tail tucked between his legs. Sakuma could feel him shaking, cursing himself once again for letting this happen. It wasn’t something he’d be forgiving himself for any time soon. Regardless, he didn’t hesitate to return the hug, telling himself that this was real, that Koujirou was still alive and they had made it in time. That they could go back home together now, like a family.

Sakuma had to force himself to stay strong and hold back the tears already pricking at his good eye. He just silently raised a hand, barely grazing his messy hair as he brushed it, careful with not getting his fingers tangled in it. It was the least he could do for Koujirou now after all the hell he had to go through.

Then, someone awkwardly cleared his throat. Fudou was staring from his corner where he was discussing with Kidou, the other werewolf sitting on the floor, taking turns looking at them, probably the most confused one of the odd group.

“So… I don’t want to interrupt your lovey dovey moment, but we need to leave before there’s so many people on high alert that just stepping outside will be a death sentence.”

Sakuma tried to compose himself- still not letting go of Koujirou, though, somewhat reluctantly for settling with a hand on his back in a comforting manner. Not like it mattered much when Koujirou was refusing to let go of him- and not like Sakuma minded.

“Right- sorry. What’s the plan, now?”

Fudou just grinned, feral and ready to start trouble. Sakuma didn’t trust that grin one bit.

“All we need is a distraction.”


	35. 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am honestly so NOT convinced by the chapters i'm writing now but it's too late to give up so gotta keep going forward!! please excuse the quality!! the ending is near you won't have to suffer much longer

A sudden howl caught people's attention, all it took to make some scramble to raise their weapons, others to run and find a hiding spot safe enough to avoid the animal's senseless wrath.

Fudou was grinning as he watched the disaster unfold, delighting in the chaos that soon followed. At his side, Kidou sighed, already knowing that at least part of it was more his own enjoyment than sticking to the plan.

Hidden among the shadows below, Sakuma, Koujirou and the other wolf -Atsuya, he claimed was his name- were using the chaos as cover, moving swiftly yet carefully, wary of every voice and footstep too close for comfort. Koujirou was still too injured to walk by himself, despite how much he insisted on not needing any help and not wanting the rest of them to fall behind. He should've known that Sakuma wouldn't take any of that, really- at the first misstep that nearly made him fall, Sakuma already had an arm around his upper body, Koujirou's arm over his shoulder to keep him on his feet. Eventually, he stopped trying to protest, Sakuma relieved when he finally accepted some help.

As much as he hated to admit it, Sakuma was getting worried for Fudou by now- as if his worries over Kidou for deciding to go along with this crazy plan weren't enough on their own already. He knew Kidou would be careful, trusted him to keep himself safe, even with how much he wanted to just yell at them both that this wasn't just a stupid idea, it was borderline suicidal. Unfortunately for him, Fudou was too stubborn and Kidou begrudgingly admitted that his plan made sense. Without the luxury of time at their side, Sakuma had to accept it through gritted teeth, like it or not. It was their best shot.

And he couldn't deny it, sneaking around and making their way to the exit was laughably easy among all the chaos and screaming. Even with how lost they were, all the noise certainly not helping much, Sakuma eventually figured out where he was going, adjusting his grip on Koujirou, getting a hiss out of him.

"I'm sorry- I promise, we'll be out of here soon, alright? We'll take care of you soon..." Sakuma really wanted to believe his own words, as hard as it was when he didn't even know just how bad Koujirou's condition was. He just hoped that most of the dried blood caking his fur and shredded clothes wasn't his.

"I-it's fine..." his poor attempts at reassuring Sakuma only helped to worry him more. He wasn't sure if Koujirou's voice was so raspy and painful to hear because of how much he had screamed, of the pain, or the lack of food and water. Maybe it was a mix of all three. Sakuma certainly didn't want to linger on those thoughts enough to find an answer.

"Don't talk too much- just save your energy now, you need it." He was surprised that Koujirou was managing to stay awake at all by now. “Please… try to stay awake a bit longer, alright?” As relieving as it was to have him awake and aware, Sakuma hated to even just think of how much pain he must be in just enduring this. He had tried his best to quickly patch up his injuries as best as he could before executing their desperate escape plan, hoping that the temporary bandages would last at least long enough to get him out of there.

Eventually, they had gotten far away enough from the chaos and confusion that all the noise was distant and muffled, much to Sakuma's relief. Taking a quick glance around to make sure no one had noticed them, Sakuma gestured at a nearby alley, the trio slipping in unnoticed. Hidden in the shadows of it, Sakuma carefully lowered Koujirou, letting him take a moment to rest, a soft apology slipping out when Koujirou hissed in pain and nearly curled up on himself, ears flat against his head and tail curled around himself as much as possible in its current condition.

Seeing him suffering so much just broke Sakuma's heart all over again.

“Let me… let me just take a look, alright? I won’t hurt you, I promise.”

Hesitantly, Koujirou nodded, allowing him to step closer. With Atsuya keeping watch for danger, Sakuma allowed himself to breathe for a moment and just focus on making sure that Koujirou wouldn’t be bleeding out on him any time soon.

The bandages were sloppy at best, between the rush to get out, the panic Sakuma was pushing back to treat him and the less than ideal materials to work with, it was the best they could hope for at the moment. Even if the bleeding wasn’t stopping entirely quite yet, it had at least slowed down enough to be safer to treat later on. That did help Sakuma, at least a little. He wasn’t sure if he could handle losing him now after all this effort to save him.

With another muttered apology, Sakuma tightened the bandages, forcing himself to ignore Koujirou's pained growl as he dug his claws into the dirt just to let him work. As much of a necessity as it was, he still hated knowing that now he was the one hurting him, making him bite back screams. Knowing this didn’t hurt as much as knowing that Koujirou was only injured this badly because of his own failures, his inability to protect them all like he had promised so long ago.

He had stopped moving in his hesitation, one of those moments were the burden on his shoulders threatened to crush him. Suddenly, Sakuma felt something grazing his hand, a touch so soft it almost made him flinch.

Koujirou was reaching out for him. All Sakuma saw when he looked up was his smile, small, fragile and almost forced, but it was still his smile, the one that would make him melt and keep him awake just by thinking about it. The smile he had fallen in love with, even when it had been broken over and over again.

Sakuma had to force his hand to move and wipe away the tears already blurring his good eye, if anything just to keep looking at that smile for a little longer, to etch it into his mind and soul. He could never forget that smile.

“I-it’s… it’s alright… t-thank you…”

Sakuma wasn’t sure how he was keeping himself together anymore. Maybe it was just his will to save Koujirou and finally give him everything he deserved, maybe it was just the adrenaline running through his body- no matter, he still wasn’t giving up now.

Carefully, he took Koujirou's hand with one of his own, his thumb brushing its back, the other hand gently cupping Koujirou's cheek. When Sakuma looked at him, his smile was genuine, despite all the pain lacing it and haunting it.

“This time we’re going home together, Koujirou. I promise.”

It was a promise he intended on keeping, no matter what.


	36. 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter a bit on the short side, but things are going to wrap up soon! I'll try my best to make the next chapters more exciting if they're not that much longer. I think this fic might end at around 40 chapters maybe? Pretty happy with how things are going so far!! Didn't really expect it to last this long or catch as much interest as it did, but I'm so happy that people are enjoying this! The support is very appreciated and I love all of it :)
> 
> EDIT BECAUSE I'M AN IDIOT WHO FORGETS STUFF- I was going to say that this is loosely connected to my first werewolf fic (It's called Wolf's blood for anyone who hasn't read it) just because I love writing about werewolves a lot and kinda wanna connect all this stuff together. ALRIGHT THAT'S ALL

As much as he hated the thought alone of doing that, Sakuma stood up and hurried to leave the alley they had been hiding into, leaving the other wolf in charge of keeping the two of them safe, just for a little while. He had to go back, make sure Kidou and Fudou were still alive and take them to finally leave that cursed place. It would be quick, he told himself, just go in and go out, ready to run. They would be home soon, nothing to worry about but their recovery.

Somehow, the two had managed to get into a fight- despite saying over and over that they would stay as far away from people as possible and only cause some panic. Sakuma should’ve seen it coming, really. It’s not like plans ever go as expected. At least they seemed to be doing fine, some scrapes and smaller injuries aside. Fudou certainly looked like he was either having the time of his life or releasing too many pent up emotions at once, snarling at anyone who got too close, biting and clawing at anything within reach, not caring for the blood he spilled and flesh he ripped apart. Kidou, while more controlled than the angry wolf, wasn’t falling behind either, even if he was mostly concerned with defending the two of them against anyone that Fudou might have missed.

Slipping past the humans was easy, bat shifting back once he was next to them and ready to help.

“Hey- we need to go now!”

Kidou just let out the most exhausted groan.

“It would be easier if Fudou hadn’t suddenly decided to pick a fight with a guy he didn’t like-”

“What?!”

Fudou just growled at them, still too busy trying to maul humans as a wolf to really answer. Sakuma wanted to yell at him over just how stupid that was, but decided to just leave it for later- they had more important things to worry about now.

They had to get rid of the humans- or at least enough of them to safely run away without being caught. If they could at least get them off their back as they ran… it looked harder and harder by the second, nearly impossible already with all the screams, weapons and their full attention on them, but they had to try something. What worried Sakuma the most was how much more in danger Koujirou would be the more time they took to get out of there. if only Fudou wasn’t such a big, loud and obnoxious wolf- at least Kidou and him could just shift into bats and go more unnoticed than in their human-like forms. Seriously, why could things never be easier for them-

* * *

“Where… w-where are they…?”

“I- I don’t know, alright? Just stay still before you get yourself hurt like an idiot!”

Peeking around the corner of their hiding spot, Atsuya growled to himself when there was still no trace of the vampires or the werewolf. He didn’t even know how long it had been since he got captured by those cursed humans, but there was still way too much happening in way too little time for him to actually process. And now he was stuck babysitting a half dead werewolf too. He remembered seeing the guy already beat up enough when they had found him- who knows how long ago. He remembered how they tried to drag him out of his cage, tried to order him around like a dog, only for him to stubbornly refuse even when the threats became bruises and wounds. Atsuya sighed, scowling as he recalled that day. He really should’ve known better, should’ve listened to his brother’s concerns, especially after one too many close calls with humans like them. Couldn’t say he hadn’t been taught the lesson he needed now- he had seen enough of what rotten people like them would do out of greed by now.

All he could really hope for was his brother’s safety now, wherever he was.

The wait was possibly killing him more than all the fighting did. Slumping against the wall as he sat on the ground once again, Atsuya winced when he hit a bruise, hissing in pain. If he was this roughed up already, he didn’t even want to imagine how badly the other guy must be doing. He bristled just thinking back to their poor attempt at a fight, furious just remembering that they didn’t even want to let him fight for his life, muzzled like an animal as he was. Had it been another werewolf in there, Atsuya knew there wasn’t a chance that he would’ve made it out alive- or even lasted that long.

He heard a whimper at his side, his ears perking up as he turned. Koujirou, was that his name? He wasn’t doing well, that was for sure. And his vampire boyfriend or whatever he was still wasn’t coming back. Great. Atsuya was getting antsier by the second, his tail twitching and swishing uncomfortably and his foot tapping against the ground as he waited.

“Just- hold on a little longer, alright? They gotta come back soon- and then we’ll finally leave this hellhole of a city and I won’t have to look at one more ugly human in my life and-” he was rambling by now, but he didn’t care- all he wanted was to get out of there.

Right as Atsuya was considering the pros and cons of going to check just how many things had gone wrong for them to take so long to come back, he heard rustling at his side. Before he could ask if Koujirou had gotten himself hurt again or something like that, he saw him standing up. Atsuya blinked. Then, when it fully dawned on him what that absolute idiot was doing, he nearly yelled.

“Wh- what the hell are you doing?!” It came out as a hissed scream, part of him still aware enough to keep his voice low when they were trying to stay hidden. Koujirou didn’t answer, just took a step forward as he leaned against the wall.

There was nothing but grim determination shining in his eyes. Determination and anger.


	37. 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear this will be ending soon really- I'm trying my best here

Sakuma wasn’t sure if they were going to get out of there anymore.

He had really underestimated just how stubborn these disgusting humans could be or how many of them there would be in a city like that. He expected them to be selfish enough to run if it meant saving their life… but maybe their greed finding creatures like them so easily available outweighed any self-preservation instinct they may have left. It wouldn’t be surprising, for sure- he should’ve seen it coming, they’re far too greedy and thirsty for riches and glory to even think for a moment of just how much danger they would be putting themselves into.

And the more time they wasted there, the more likely it was for one of those humans to find Koujirou, injured and vulnerable. They didn’t even know how long they had until the sunrise, already so far along into the night they had lost track of time among all the action. They might have hours like they might have mere minutes by now.

The more it all went on, the more tired Fudou grew, too caught up in the heat of the battle at first to really think of what he was doing and how he was fighting. He only realized that he had already used up most of his energy when it was too late, when he could no longer keep his big and scary wolf form up and fend off attacks at the same time. When he felt himself falter and nearly collapse, no longer having the strength to keep himself on his feet, the fur vanished, his claws were no longer as sharp, his fangs and figure shrunk, the small and laughably weak figure of a human left in place of the threatening beast. Kidou managed to get at his side just in time to catch him and help him stay on his feet, but it was too late, they were already in far more danger than minutes ago. Some of the humans looked surprised as they took in Fudou's new appearance, but he just snarled before they could start speaking, not lunging at them to rip their throats out only because he no longer had the energy for it- and Kidou held him back from trying anyways.

Sakuma's mind was racing, just trying to figure out what they could do in such a desperate and hopeless situation. The humans had already their weapons raised and pointed at them, not attacking just yet, only taking their time to discuss and decide whether or not it would be better to just kill the vile creatures and be done with it or make them pay in full for what they had done. It disgusted him to hear them, to know how they were talking about them like they were nothing more than lowly animals, not bothered in the slightest that the object of their inhuman discussions were right there in front of them, listening.

And while the humans were busy keeping them under control and deciding their fate like they were just talking about the weather or their business and hobbies, Sakuma had an idea. Something he already knew no one would really approve of, bound to get him into even more trouble, maybe even kill him if it went the way it was more likely to go. It was stupid, reckless, borderline suicidal. It was the only thing he could think of.

“Kidou.” The vampire in question looked at him once he heard his whisper, Fudou glancing at the both of them with a questioning look on his face, trying to nurse one of the many injuries he was just now starting to feel with the adrenaline fading. Kidou didn’t look much better, a few wounds fairly noticeable despite how much Fudou had managed to cover the two of them in his rage. Seeing them like that, remembering Koujirou's condition, it was all enough to cement Sakuma's decision and steel his resolve. “Run. Now.”

Kidou was about to ask just what the hell was he talking about, refusing to even think of what he already knew must’ve been Sakuma's stupid plan. He didn’t have the time to do it, Sakuma already screaming as he lunged at the closest human, catching him off guard just enough to force him to drop his weapon, silver dagger kicked away in the assault. It was enough to get all their attention on him, panic settling in once they realized that this creature lower than an animal wasn’t quietly obeying once defeated like it should’ve.

Koujirou had already sacrificed himself once for his sake, for all of them, had so quickly thrown away his own life and hard earned freedom without hesitation or even a second thought, even when he already knew too well what kind of hell would expect him after doing that, likely to be the rest of his life, however short that might be. Even knowing he might have died alone and never loved again with such a selfless sacrifice like that. And he was willing to do that, just for the ones he had grown fond of, had started to see as the family he might’ve never had.

Sakuma was ready to do the same- he was fine with it, with throwing his own life away, if it meant he could save them, save Koujirou. His only regret was knowing he never got to return his love, to let Koujirou know that he really was loved. That the confession was accepted and his feelings were mutual. That he couldn’t keep his promise to go back home together and keep protecting him. He regretted not being able to apologize for such a selfless, yet selfish decision, for not being able to keep playing the piano for him and brushing his hair and fur, for not even being able to say goodbye.

Kidou’s screams felt faint and distant, the humans’ yells as he moved on with his rampage muffled and falling on deaf ears. Arrows had already hit him, blades were digging into his flesh. Sakuma didn’t care- all he cared about now was the wolf he had to leave behind in that dirty alley, bleeding and barely conscious. If he was lucky, maybe he would take down enough of those humans that leaving the city wouldn’t be as much of a danger for everyone else. It was all he could really hope for now.

Then, Sakuma faltered, even if just for a brief moment. It was all it took. He felt a kick to his stomach, knocking him off his last victim and onto the floor. Before he could get back up and go on with his bloody rampage, there was a feet planted on his chest and pinning him to the ground and an arrow pointed at his throat. So this was it, this was how he would die. He should’ve known better.

As Sakuma glared at the arrow, the human looking down on him with his ugly, smug grin, a howl ripped apart the sudden silence of the night.


	38. 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So happy to have gotten this far into this fic!! And it got so much more support than what I expected, I couldn't be happier with this!  
> The end is near ;)

Sakuma didn’t even have the time to look around in his surprise, the human holding him down being suddenly pushed away by a wolf body slamming into him with all his weight, staggering as he got back on his feet. His eye widened and his breath hitched when Koujirou nearly fell over, what little cloth was covering his injuries torn and ripped apart, shreds of it clinging to his dirty fur caked in blood.

“K-Koujirou- what are you doing?!” He scrambled to get up as soon as he snapped out of his shock, already seeing the humans regroup to attack the wounded wolf. He couldn’t allow it, he couldn’t let Koujirou sacrifice himself for him again, not now that he could at least try to do something to stop it instead of being so useless-

He managed to get to Koujirou just in time to catch him, barely keeping up the wolf appearance under the exhaustion and pain weighing on him. Sakuma was vaguely aware of the other wolf finally catching up to them, fiery red fur stained in blood as he joined the fight. He was vaguely aware of Kidou and Fudou rushing to his side, the former almost carrying the latter.

They couldn’t keep going like this- if they kept trying to fight, it would be their death sentence.

He didn’t even need to tell them to get going- they were running before he could even look at them.

“Come on- we’re getting out of here, just hold on a little longer, please-” Sakuma was trying to just push Koujirou and get him out of there, even when he still refused to shift back to his human form, already determined to keep fighting and fending off their enemies, like Sakuma's safety was all that mattered to him now. It probably was too- that was what scared Sakuma the most. He couldn’t let him do this, not now.

Among the chaos, neither of them realized the human sneaking on them until it was too late.

Koujirou was suddenly back to his smaller, fragile human form, staggering on his feet, looking at Sakuma with wide eyes, not saying a word.

Sakuma's eye widened. For a moment that felt eternal, he forgot how to breathe.

“K-Koujirou…?”

He barely caught him in time before he could hit the ground, already feeling the warm and sticky sensation on his hands, not even realizing that the human responsible was already pushed away from them, throat ripped apart by the other wolf, dead before he could even hit the ground.

All Sakuma could do was hold the love of his life in his arms, barely aware enough to keep anything from touching the dagger still digging into his back before it could get worse, feeling his blood staining his clothes and sticking to his skin. Sakuma was panicking now- he couldn’t pull out the dagger without risking him bleeding out, but he couldn’t leave it in the wound and let the silver poison him either. Either way, Koujirou would keep suffering and risk his life. All because he couldn’t just protect himself like he was supposed to.

“K-Koujirou- w-wait, please stay awake-” he could hardly feel Koujirou's shaky hands weakly trying to cling to him, a pitiful attempt with what little strength he had left. If it was to seek comfort or to reassure Sakuma, he wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter either, not when he knew that the very thing keeping him from bleeding out was slowly trying to kill him at the same time. Not when he knew that as long as they stood there, trying so desperately to fight for their life, there was nothing he could do to help Koujirou. The dagger was small enough that it wasn’t that deep of a wound either- the cruel irony. “Please… d-don’t… don’t do this to me…”

Some small part of him wondered how he would go back and face everyone else like that, how he would tell them that he had failed, that he was so close and yet still failed to save Koujirou. Another smaller part of him was aware that none of them might even get to go back, that they were more likely to either be killed or kidnapped there, that no one else would ever know what happened to them. He wasn’t sure which option sounded worse. He wasn’t sure if he cared either when part of him realized that either of them meant he was losing Koujirou. They were so close to escaping too, knowing just enough of the city to remember that it would’ve just taken a few more streets to find the exit and run away.

It was all so cruel. Sakuma hated it.

He wasn’t sure if he cared anymore, not really listening to whatever Kidou was saying- not even realizing that Kidou was now at his side, carefully taking his shoulder and trying to get him to move or something like that. Sakuma didn’t care, didn’t even really feel the pain of his own injuries anymore, of the arrows’ heads still scratching at his arms and digging into his flesh. He just feared that letting go of Koujirou would be all it would take to finally lose him. He was aware of the fight still going on, of the other wolf relentlessly attacking and Fudou fighting back even in his weaker form. He just didn’t care.

Just as he expected some fatal hit to come, to be knocked out, stabbed or shot at, anything that would be putting an end to all this pain, hell and misery… nothing came. He almost wondered if the humans had decided to be cruel enough to let him live with the knowledge of his own failure.

It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes, yet they were feeling like hours, days even. Then, a scream made itself known, catching all their attention. For a moment, the frantic, one sided battle stopped, no one sure of what was going on now. Sakuma finally dared to look around, still holding Koujirou as close as he could in his desperate attempts to still keep him safe.

A city guard was running through the street, he recognized the armor and emblem in passing. The flimsy layer of metal was useless against the orc’s brutal fists. The vampires were at his side, a scrawny werewolf quick to join them.

Before the chaos could invade those streets once again, Sakuma could almost feel himself tearing up at the sight. Even when he knew they had gone against his wishes, done the exact thing he had told them not to do before leaving with Kidou. It shouldn’t have surprised him, really- they were far too stubborn to be held back by mere words, not when they were aware of just how dangerous this rescue mission was.

He couldn’t have been happier to see his friends- his family there.

They had rushed into action as soon as they saw him, biting, clawing and pushing the humans away- they were no longer a match for the new group of what they thought was nothing more than mindless monsters in front of them.

“Sakuma!” His head snapped up as soon as he heard his name. Sakiyama was at his side, the only sign of concern being his furrowed brow and frown barely visible behind his mask as soon as he looked at Koujirou. “What…”

“Sakiyama- we need to stop the bleeding, now-” he didn’t need to explain any further, Sakiyama quickly nodding and moving to look over the worst injury, wings barely twitching in silent anger when he took a good look at it.

“Pull out the dagger. I’ll take care of it.”

Sakuma hesitated. He knew they couldn’t leave it there, but… no, it wasn’t the right time to dwell on it, Koujirou needed help. Taking a deep breath, he nodded, a hand firmly grabbing the handle. He could feel Koujirou flinch and tense up in his arms, guilt already building up in his stomach.

“I’m sorry- I promise, it will be over soon-”

Steeling himself and hoping Koujirou heard him, he pulled the dagger out in one swift motion. Koujirou bit back a scream, eyes widening for a moment before his body went limp. Sakuma only kept himself from completely panicking after hearing his heartbeat, too weak for comfort, but still there. Sakiyama didn’t waste any time, hands pressing on the injury. He took a deep breath, letting his magic flow from his arms to his fingertips and into the wound, sweat already collecting on his forehead. When he finally pulled his hands away, the bleeding was barely stopped, the wound still too tender and barely held together, like the slightest touch would open it again.

“That… that will have to work for now… sorry…”

Sakuma wasn’t really happy with the improvised solution, but he nodded regardless, already seeing how it was starting to take a toll on Sakiyama. He knew how much effort it took to take care of life-threatening injuries, especially with the already poor condition Koujirou was in.

“Don’t apologize- you… you helped more than I ever could’ve…”

Sakiyama looked ready to protest, Sakuma could tell, but they both knew it wasn’t the right time. As carefully as they could, they lifted Koujirou to carry him out of there, being met with no protest on his part. Sakuma really hoped that he was just unconscious, if anything at least to spare him some of the pain. He could feel himself already exhausted, only keeping himself on his feet with nothing but adrenaline and willpower. Sakiyama looked at him, almost more concerned than before, but Sakuma just silently shook his head. It wasn’t the right time to stop and rest- he had promised Koujirou that they would go home together, he wasn’t going to go back on that promise now, no matter what.

“Come on- let’s get out of here!”

They all heard him loud and clear, dropping the fight to gather up and finally get out of that hell hole. He could almost feel his heart in his throat as he tensed up when he looked them over, only finding Oono, Kenya, Henmi and Doumen, no one else in sight. Did they…

“Don’t worry- everyone else is waiting back home for us.” At least Sakiyama was quick to notice his fear and reassure him, Sakuma could soon feel himself breathe once again, mindlessly nodding. They were all there, they were together.

They would be alright.

Running away and out of there was easier now, it finally looked possible now that they could keep a better eye on their surroundings and the few humans still stubbornly trying to hunt them down, the majority of the ones who survived the fight seemingly –hopefully- too scared to go after them. Sakuma hoped they would remember all this pain whenever they so much as thought of enslaving another creature.

Sakuma couldn’t even begin to describe the sense of relief as soon as they made their way out, the breeze of the night on his face one of the best sensations in what felt like ages. They still couldn’t take the time to rest and recover, still too close to the human city to safely stop. It was still better than being in there, than feeling trapped and surrounded like that. He didn’t want to go through something like that ever again.

Eventually, they made their way into the woods and into a clearing. They had been too busy running to really look at how far they had gotten, they were definitely not far away enough to really be safe, but they needed a moment to rest and breathe- that, and they had to make sure that Koujirou wasn’t doing worse by now. At least he wouldn’t be waking up any time soon, a small relief after everything that happened to him.

“I’ll take care of him.”

Sakuma was snapped out of his thoughts by Sakiyama’s soft voice and reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Wait- are you sure? You already pushed yourself enough…”

Sakiyama just nodded, completely serious.

“Koujirou is more important right now. I’ll make sure he comes back with us.”

“… Alright.”

As worried as he was over Sakiyama’s condition, already seeing how tired he was by now, Sakuma had to let him do it. There was no one else there that could heal him enough to at least get back home.

“He’ll be okay. Don’t worry.”

It wasn’t like he had a choice but to trust him with Koujirou's life now. Not like Sakuma would trust anyone else more than all of them- what they had just done was proof enough of it.

While Sakiyama got to work, Sakuma used the time to check on everyone else- he wouldn’t really be able to rest until he was sure that they were doing as well as they could. And to his relief, no one else had sustained any serious injuries, some bruises and scratches at worst. He could almost ignore his own still aching injuries as he watched them all sit around, even helping the two wolves that were still strangers to them like they had known them their whole life. He couldn’t have been prouder of them.

Then, while he was busy watching Fudou protest at the unwanted fussing and attention, Sakuma felt a snout pushing against his arm. Kenya inched closer to him, ears low and looking at him in a mix of fear and worry. He still hadn’t shifted back, even when they had long since left the city. Sakuma couldn’t really blame him for feeling safer as a wolf.

“Hey… it’s alright- we’ll be fine. All of us.”

Kenya just whined, not entirely convinced. Hard to blame him, after seeing the condition Koujirou was in… huffing a bit, Sakuma just rested his hand on top of his head, gently scratching it. That seemed to help, at least a bit, he could feel Kenya relaxing a little as he leaned into the touch. He only stopped when Doumen joined them, already starting to talk to the wolf in his attempts to distract and calm him down. Sakuma was silently grateful for it, finally taking his leave, sparing one more glance at the group before turning back to the biggest of his current worries.

Sakiyama looked exhausted by now, wings scarily still. Henmi had rushed to his side to support him, helping him get back on his feet. Despite that, he seemed almost relieved as he finally looked up at Sakuma.

“He’ll be fine for now… just take care of his other injuries and let him rest…”

Sakuma could’ve cried right there and then just hearing that, only keeping himself together when he reminded himself that it wasn’t the right time. Koujirou still looked terrible, dirty, covered in dried blood and a little pale, but he was alive, he was still alive and would recover. It was more than what Sakuma could’ve asked for.

“Thank you- I don’t think I can thank you enough.”

Sakiyama just shook his head, leaning against Henmi for support.

“I’m just glad to know he’ll be fine. That’s enough.”

Sakuma wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve this family, really- even with all the scares that came with them. It was all worth it.

“Come on, then- let’s get going.”

As everyone else was getting up and ready for the walk back, Sakuma knelt at Koujirou's side for a moment, a hand gently brushing his hair, not minding the knots he found. Koujirou was sleeping peacefully, at least for now.

“We’re going home, Koujirou.”


	39. 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I genuinely cannot believe this fic has really gotten this far! The next chapter will be the epilogue and it's already over, wow I'm honestly surprised that I managed to write all this... I don't have much else to say yet, some of the stuff I'd like to ramble about in the notes is better suited for the very last chapter, so I'll just be leaving this here and hoping you'll enjoy it as much as I did when writing it!
> 
> PS: I completely forgot to mention this, but the title of this whole thing was taken from the lyric of a song, just a small fun detail that I really wanted to mention and completely slipped my mind. The song is Unbreakable by citizen soldier- really good band and a song that I found very fitting for this fic! I promise, it's great, check it out!

Needless to say, there was a lot of fussing and worrying involved as soon as they had stepped back into the castle. Sakuma barely managed to get everything and everyone under control, ushering them all away and to get some well-deserved rest, asking the ones who had stayed there waiting to help their unexpected guests.

Meanwhile, he took care of Koujirou.

Sakuma had to take a moment to compose himself before he could get to work, the reminder of his failure still heavy on his heart- even when they had managed to bring him back, there was still much work to be done before they could safely say that Koujirou would be alright.

As soon as he started cleaning the blood, both dry and fresh, all the bruises, scrapes and injuries were in plain sight. Sakuma was silently grateful to Sakiyama for having managed to take care of at least the worst of it- he didn’t even want to think of what would’ve happened to Koujirou if they hadn’t done that… but there was still enough to need a few weeks to heal, at the very least.

With everything properly bandaged and taken care of, Sakuma sighed, getting more comfortable on the chair to watch Koujirou. He still had much work to do, had to clean up and go check on everyone else… but that could wait, at least for a few minutes. Right now, he just needed to watch over him, to see the slow rise and fall of his chest as he slept, to remind himself that Koujirou was alive and would get better. That hope and reassurance was all he had, at least for now.

* * *

Carefully opening the door, Sakuma peeked into the room, expecting to find the usual sight of the sleeping wolf.

His eye widened when he saw Koujirou sitting on the bed, looking a bit pale and shaken, but awake- awake and alive. Part of him was aware of how much this felt like the first time he saw him waking up in the safety of the castle. As much as he would’ve liked to never go through so much fear, doubt and anxiety ever again, the relief he felt just seeing him opening his eyes again was enough to push it all away.

Slowly, even more carefully than before, Sakuma pushed the door open just enough to slip into the room. Koujirou's attention quickly snapped from his many injuries and bandages to the door, body tense, ears standing straight up and tail suddenly still, like he was ready to bolt- and then he saw Sakuma by the door, his breath hitching at the sight. Sakuma's smile couldn’t really hide the hints of sadness.

“Hey… Koujirou…”

As soon as he was close enough, Koujirou had nearly jumped out of the bed to cling to him, holding him as tightly as his current condition would allow him to, refusing to let go even when he could start feeling his body aching all over. Sakuma wasn’t sure if he was shaking because of the pain or the mix of fear and relief he must’ve been feeling already by now. Regardless, he didn’t hesitate to hug him back, more mindful of his injuries, doing his best to move and sit on the bed without letting go of him or hitting a sore spot by accident.

“It’s alright… you’re safe now.”

He still needed some time to fully calm down, to let it all sink in. Sakuma would give him as much time as he needed. He only really felt better when he felt Koujirou's shaking calm down and slowly, eventually, come to a halt. When Koujirou finally pulled back from the kind touch, there was a soft smile on his face, one of his rare, gentle and genuine smiles that Sakuma loved so much.

“Thank you.”

Somehow, Sakuma already knew that it wasn’t just for the hug.

“You’re welcome… I did promise that I would bring you back, didn’t I?” He was glad to know that at least that promise he was able to keep. “But please- let me check on you now, alright? You’re still healing- I need to make sure that you’re doing well.”

Despite his reluctance to let go, Koujirou quietly nodded, a frown on his face as he moved back to sit down on the bed and let him do his job. Sakuma made sure of getting it all done as quick as he could, just to let him get comfortable in bed again to keep resting. To his relief, two days in bed had already done wonders to his injuries, even when they had to pretty much force Sakiyama to keep resting himself after how much he had pushed himself just to keep him alive. Fairy magic was certainly amazing, even when it came from a half fairy. At least now Koujirou wasn’t trying to mess around with his bandages, small relieves. The scars that would surely come from this experience, however, were not something Sakuma was looking forward to. The last thing he wanted was to see even more reminders of his suffering branded onto his skin.

With that done, they sat there in a comfortable silence, Sakuma starting to clean and put away the dirty bandages and other stuff.

“I’ll be right back- I’ll bring you some food and water, alright? You can go back to sleep after that if you want.”

Koujirou absently nodded, tail now wrapped around himself as much as he could despite its poor condition, mindlessly fiddling with it and running his fingers through his fur, frowning when he felt it much rougher and coarser than before, his claws getting tangled in the knots.

Something was on his mind, Sakuma could tell.

“… What’s wrong?” Now Koujirou tensed up ever so slightly, pointedly looking away from him as soon as he heard him speak up. Sakuma was getting concerned now. “Koujirou… you can trust me. Whatever it is… you can tell me.” Sakuma stopped what he was doing to give him all his attention, a hand reaching out to find Koujirou's and give it a gentle squeeze.

“… Before… before they… took me.” He was almost clinging to Sakuma's hand by now- hard to blame him, knowing what happened just a few weeks ago after he got captured. “… Remember…? I…”

“You… you what-“ Sakuma was confused, to say the least. What did he- “Oh.”

Right. That. They had to talk about that. Sakuma hadn’t even thought about it, just worried about bringing him back home safe to even think about it, trying his best not to think about how they might not even had the chance to speak again. He remembered how hard he was trying to avoid the matter mere hours before that fateful encounter, how quickly their lives had been turned around.

He couldn’t let that happen again, couldn’t risk losing Koujirou again and not get the chance to say anything.

Sakuma took a deep breath. He could already feel his cheeks tinting red, just thinking carefully about his words and how to express himself.

“Koujirou… you… did you really mean that…?”

He wasn’t sure why he was so scared to so much as ask, like there was even the slightest chance of it all being a lie.

Koujirou managed the smallest nod, his own cheeks already a deep red, not quite meeting his eye just yet.

“I… yes…”

Sakuma almost forgot how to breathe.

He wanted to say something, anything at all, to reassure Koujirou's worries and growing fear at the thought alone of being rejected.

He wanted to tell him that he loved him too.

As much as he tried, he couldn’t really find the right words- he wasn’t even sure if there were any right words to say.

All Sakuma could really do was act on impulse, gently tug on Koujirou's hand to pull him closer. Before Koujirou could say anything, Sakuma had already kissed him, soft and quick, pulling back almost immediately, feeling his face almost on fire as he looked away.

There was barely a minute or silence, maybe even less, but it felt eternal, awkward and comfortable at the same time, neither of them letting go of the other’s hand.

When Sakuma finally dared to look at Koujirou again, he could swear his heart stopped entirely when he saw his smile, the warmest and brightest smile he has ever seen in his life.

Sakuma was completely, utterly smitten for this werewolf.

“… I love you too.”

He didn’t really need to say it by now, not after that kiss, both of them already sure that their feelings were reciprocated. He wanted to say it anyways, needed to say it, to let Koujirou know that he was truly loved and wanted. His smile was even warmer now- and Sakuma wasn’t sure of how he was still alright, when that smile could so easily rival the sun.

“I love you.”

Koujirou didn’t even give him the time to react, following his example and leaning in for another kiss, a bit shier than their first one, but just as soft and wanted. Sakuma almost didn’t want to pull away, didn’t want to let go of him ever again.

Eventually, he reluctantly had to get up despite their disappointment- he still had to take care of Koujirou, after all. He just promised to return as quickly as possible and with as much food as he wanted. At least that did the trick- Koujirou was still pouting, but at least he didn’t look as disappointed as before, a bit more at ease letting him leave the room.

True to his word, Sakuma was back within minutes, a quite big portion of fresh meat on a plate and a fresh glass of water to go with it, now very grateful of having gone hunting earlier. He could already see the spark in Koujirou's eyes as soon as they landed on the plate of food.

“Here- if you want more just let me know, alright? You can have as much as you want.”

He gladly nodded as he took his plate… but didn’t start eating quite yet. Sakuma was about to ask if something was wrong when Koujirou just took his arm and pulled him a bit closer.

“Sit? Please?”

Oh. Of course.

Sakuma didn’t hesitate to nod and sit at his side. if Koujirou wanted the company, he would gladly give it to him. Not like he really wanted to leave him alone any time soon, even if it was just for a little while. With Sakuma now at his side, Koujirou inched closer to him, resting his head on his shoulder and pretty much all his body weight against him, getting comfortable as he snuggled into his side to start eating. After a moment of hesitation, Sakuma carefully rested a hand on his shoulder, holding him a bit closer.

Once, he might have rejected the touch, might have hissed and growled and threatened to attack at the slightest misstep. Now, he just happily got more comfortable against Sakuma, even if he wasn’t fully aware of it, no longer trying to shield himself or hide from the world. Sakuma didn’t mind the messy hair tickling his neck or the position just a little bit uncomfortable to hold without making Koujirou move. His eye refused to look away, taking in the way his ears kept twitching as he happily ate without a care in the world and looking at how his tail couldn’t quite stay still, swishing behind him, the tip already wagging. He saw the sparkling in his eyes as he pretty much devoured everything in his plate, his smile more lively than ever before.

He saw not a caged animal, but the love of his life, finally living to the fullest like he deserved, completely regaining the freedom that had been taken away from him.

With a content sigh, Sakuma gently brushed his hair with his free hand. When Koujirou was done eating and sat a bit more upright, Sakuma didn’t think twice before leaving a soft kiss on his cheek.

“I’m so glad you’re home now, Koujirou.”


	40. 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, we're finally here- honestly didn't really expect to get this far, especially when I ended up hitting some road blocks more than once and wasn't sure where to go from there. To be honest, I was really doubting writing this entire thing in the first place, I didn't really know if anyone would get invested enough to want to read all of it or even just consider reading even just the first chapter at all, I am SO happy to have been wrong about that and to have received so much more support than what I expected, this was one of the fics I was the most excited to get to writing, even when the idea of a multichapter seemed so big and almost impossible at times. I can't say I'm not happy with having managed to write all this, though! I just hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did while writing it.
> 
> There were more ideas and concepts I would've loved to write and explore here, but for the sake of continuity and keeping the plot simple enough, and due to time limits, I couldn't really get into them- so hopefully I'll manage to expand with more stories and oneshots to write down everything I was thinking of, I loved this little AU way too much to just leave it at this and forget about it as soon as it's all over. I might take a little break from it, though, just to write some more stuff that I've been really wanting to do but haven't been able to focus on as much. Or I might be posting more of this AU soon- let's see what my inspiration makes me write next. Regardless, know that I'm for sure writing more multichapters, I already have a few wips in the works, of which one is getting fairly close to being completed! 
> 
> I think I had more to say, but these notes are getting long now, so I'll just leave you to the final chapter. I hope you'll enjoy this!

When Sakuma walked into an empty room, he just let out a long, tired sigh. He wasn’t surprised, really, it was already a common occurrence.

Making his way to the main entrance, Sakuma took a quick peek through the window, just a bit relieved when he saw the dark, heavy clouds hanging in the sky, blocking all the sunlight. Still, it would definitely be raining soon, he had to hurry up before it started pouring- which, by the looks of it, would be very soon.

Right as he was looking around for his cape to shield himself from the cold that would surely sneak inside as soon as he opened the doors, Sakuma heard a snicker behind him.

“Lost your puppy again?”

Fudou was definitely enjoying himself. Sakuma was starting to wonder if he had turned murdering his patience into his favorite hobby. It might as well be the entire castle’s favorite hobby by now, with some of the things they seemed to enjoy doing just to exasperate him.

“I didn’t lose him- he’s just having fun now that he can.” Like Sakuma would ever try to keep him confined to the walls of the castle anymore. He had earned his freedom, even when sometimes it still scared him to see him leave, just fearing that he might not come back again, Sakuma wouldn’t stop him. He just trusted him to come back home.

“Right- and that’s why you keep losing track of him?” Fudou just huffed, looking away- what Sakuma had learned was his subtle way of hiding his concerns, with snide remarks and refusing to look at whoever he was trying to bother. It wasn’t exactly easy to tell, considering he loved to get snarky and annoying whenever he could, but Sakuma was learning to tell the difference by now. It was a bit of a necessity now that Fudou was living there. “He’s still outside- you should hurry to make him come back before it starts raining.” No one was really too eager on letting him track all that water inside- the mud and dirt was enough.

“I know, I know- I’m on it.” In these moments, Sakuma really had to wonder why they didn’t send Fudou away with Kidou and that other wolf when they left. Even if Kidou was too smart to willingly put himself through all that pain in the ass. It was too late to have regrets, now.

Pulling the cape closer to his body, Sakuma prepared for the cold of the dark day and pushed the door open, letting the freezing wind slip inside. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and walked outside, hoping that he could find him in time and come back before it started raining.

To his relief, the forest had gone back to how it used to be after the humans left, the animals going back to their routine and the peace returning to it. Sakuma knew it could only be temporary, knew they were likely to come back sooner or later, the rumors of all the creatures making the old, forsaken castle their home eventually going back to spreading and attracting the worst humans had to offer. It was only natural, something they all had long since learned to live with, like it or not. This time, however, they would be more careful, Sakuma promised himself that- promised to himself, and to everyone else. They wouldn’t be caught off guard again, they wouldn’t let one of their own be taken away to suffer like that again.

Sakuma shook his head, taking a deep breath. It was not the right time to think about that, no need to worry over something that might not happen in a long time. He just kept walking through the trees, tightening the grip on his cape a little more- it was colder than he expected out there. Then, right when he was starting to get worried, he heard the crunching of bones and flesh being ripped apart not too far away.

Pushing his way through the bushes, his clothes getting tangled in the stray branches and torns more than once, Sakuma found the wolf hiding among the foliage, his recent prey secured between his fangs and under his paws, biting into it and chewing without a care in the world. Sakuma sighed- he should’ve expected this, really.

“Koujirou…”

As soon as he heard his name, his ears perked up, immediately turning around, tail already wagging. Even with the blood covering his snout and paws, he managed to be unfairly cute. Sakuma didn’t know whether to consider himself lucky or doomed- it depended on the situation, really. Right now, it might be a little bit of both with something else thrown in. He just stepped closer, kneeling at his side to gently brush his fur and scratch his ears, much to Koujirou's delight. Sakuma couldn’t help but admire his soft fur, no longer roughed up, dirty and never taken care of. It brought a smile to his face, just glad to know that all the hard work paid off, that Koujirou was finally and fully recovered, that he was no longer that starving, injured wolf, that he was living the life he truly deserved. Koujirou just gladly leaned into the touch more and more and more- until he was pretty much trying to push Sakuma down and lay on him, demanding more affection.

“Hey- stop that, you’re going to get my clothes all dirty, please-”

Either Koujirou was really debating whether or not to make him roll in the dirt and mud until it would take days to clean it all off, or he didn’t really care. It was probably the latter- he had really developed a nasty liking for being as annoying as he could and then get away with it with some puppy eyes. He had been hanging out with Kenya too much, it was getting dangerous for Sakuma's health and sanity alike.

To his relief, he had managed to get Koujirou off him before his clothes could become more mud than fabric, saving just enough of them to still be able to wash them, the wolf now sitting at his side more comfortable. Sakuma had to hold back a sigh when he got a chance to take a good look at him, now finding all the twigs, leaves, dirt and mud clinging to his legs and the lower side of his fur.

“You need a bath… you’re not getting into bed like that, alright?” Koujirou just whined in answer, more out of wanting to immediately go back to cuddling than not wanting to actually get a bath. “Come on… I’ll make sure the water is all nice and warm, alright?” He finally relented and accepted the terms. Not like he would’ve kept complaining much longer, he never liked to be a bother to Sakuma.

Glancing at the sky as he stood up, Sakuma frowned. It definitely was about to start raining, and he wasn’t really eager to stay there and wait until it started. Even though the water might help get at least some of the dirt off Koujirou. Not really worth getting his dear wolf sick, though.

“Come on, then- let’s go now.”

And with that he started walking back, only stopping for a moment to glance behind him and make sure Koujirou was following- and chuckled to himself when he found him going back to grab and drag his half eaten deer, not really wanting to leave his meal to waste. To his relief, they did manage to get back right before the rain started falling, the faint rumbling of thunders in the distance getting louder and clearer. He’d have to make sure that everyone and everything is ready if a storm came their way- later. He’d have time for that while Koujirou took his bath.

After Koujirou finally left his fresh meat in his room for later –he really didn’t like the idea of sharing his food that much, hard to blame him-, they made their way to the closest bathroom, Sakuma already working on filling the tub with warm water. Then, he looked at Genda, sighing when he remembered everything that was stuck in his fur.

“Let’s… let’s just start getting all that off you.”

At least by now, Koujirou didn’t mind as much being prodded and poked. Sakuma still tried his best to be careful as he got everything as untangled as he could and off his fur. It was getting so long by now…

“Maybe we should cut this some day… isn’t it bothering you when it’s this long?”

Koujirou just looked at him. Then, he shook his head. The same answer Sakuma had gotten all the other times. Well, as long as he was happy, it would be alright, he could deal with that.

“Alright, then- I’ll leave you to it. And please, try not to get water all over the place this time around, alright?”

Koujirou just huffed. It was the best Sakuma would get from him for now. He just left the bathroom and closed the door behind him- he had plenty of stuff to do to sit around and do nothing, anyways.

At least everyone else was more than ready to help and make sure their home would be safe and sound. Between checking that there were no leaks, ensuring all the windows were properly locked and curtains were drawn, keeping the fireplace lit and fueled, among other things, there was plenty of work to do. Somehow, they had even gotten Fudou to help- though, Sakuma already suspected that it was his own way to repay them for their help, even when he kept complaining and angrily muttering under his breath. He refused to let anyone truly know that he was way more of a softie than what he would ever like to admit.

By the end of it, Sakuma was already exhausted and ready to go to sleep- keeping everyone in check and getting things done was harder than it looked with the rowdy bunch living under the same roof. How he was managing was honestly a mystery, even to himself.

At least he could go back to his room and rest now.

When he opened the door, Sakuma was greeted by the sight of his messy wolf, sitting cross legged on the bed as he worked on drying the bird nest he had for hair, tail puffed and wet resting on his lap. At least he remembered to put on some pants before sitting in there.

“Need some help?” He could barely hide his smile as he stepped closer to the bed, sitting at Koujirou's side. Koujirou just pouted.

“I’m fine.” Even though he himself was struggling to tame his hair. The sacrifices he made to keep it long and keep all the scissors and blades away.

“Then I guess you don’t want me to brush any of that?”

Koujirou suddenly stopped. Then, he handed the cloth to Sakuma without a word. Sakuma just rolled up his sleeves and got to work, careful of not hurting his ears in the process. A completely wet cloth later, his hair was finally going from wet to just damp.

“Your tail, now.”

Koujirou happily obliged, always eager to lean into Sakuma's kind touches. As happy as Sakuma was to take care of him, sometimes he really wished there was less fur to deal with- this was definitely one of those times. He’d still help him as much as he could to take care of it, tossing the cloth aside when he deemed his fur dry enough to start brushing it. He could swear, had Koujirou been a cat, he would be purring by now.

They had already gotten used to this routine, Sakuma helping Koujirou brush first his hair, then the fur on his tail, then the rest of his fur as a wolf. It always took quite a while, they were still trying to find a less time consuming way of doing this… but neither of them really minded. They were still spending time together and that was enough for them.

Sakuma could almost feel how relaxed and at ease Koujirou grew as he kept brushing him, his tail occasionally twitching and swaying behind him- Sakuma just tried to slip his arm over it to stop it from constantly brushing his face. It wasn’t really working as well as he wished. Small sacrifices to make Koujirou happy.

“… Please, try to stay a bit more still.”

“Sorry.”

He wasn’t really sorry- he had no right to be that cute either, really. Sakuma had to wonder where that big and scary wolf went and when he was left with someone this cute instead. Not like he minded, though. Sakuma couldn’t really hold himself back, stopping in the middle of the brushing to lean in and quickly leave a kiss on his cheek. That helped fluster him enough to at least keep still for a little bit.

“Alright, we’re done-”

He didn’t have the time to finish before finding himself nearly pushed down on the bed, Koujirou already clinging to him without a care in the world. Sakuma just sighed and surrendered, holding him back and gently running his fingers through his messy hair, eventually reaching up to scratch his ears. He knew Koujirou was still struggling, didn’t really expect him not to after how much had happened in so little… but at least the kind touch helped, reminded him that it was all over. He was glad to do that and much more to help him recover, no matter how long it would take. Sakuma promised himself to never leave him alone again.

Neither of them really knew how much time had passed- and neither of them cared either. They would never get tired of those small, simple gestures, of those displays of genuine affection they both craved. No one could really pull them apart anymore now- no one would dare to even try, if they knew what was good for them.

“Everything okay?”

Sakuma just nodded in answer, trying to stifle a yawn.

“Don’t worry about the rush… just making sure everything is in order if the storm passes by.” Koujirou always worried a bit too much. He just scrunched his nose at the mention of a storm, snuggling a bit more into the hug. Sakuma didn’t hesitate to hold him a bit tighter. “It’s alright- it doesn’t look too bad. We’ll be fine.” There was something about storms that Koujirou never liked. Sakuma wouldn’t press him for answers, just making sure of being there for him when he needed it.

“Alright… I trust you.”

Sakuma could never truly say just how happy it made him to hear that, to feel him so comfortable in his arms. To know he had been able to give Koujirou someone he could finally rely on, someone he could depend on whenever he needed it. He had been waiting enough for something like that to happen. To find a place he could really call home.

“Better now?”

Koujirou gladly nodded, a smile on his lips as he suddenly leaned up to kiss his cheek. Just a few weeks since they had finally opened up about their feelings and he was already delighting in taking him by surprise and watching his face turn redder than it should be possible for a vampire. And he was succeeding at it, too.

Sakuma could play that game too- barely smiling back at him before leaning in for a kiss right on the lips. Koujirou's eyes went wide, his ears straight up and his tail completely still for a moment, then suddenly wagging when he leaned back into the kiss. He was still taking his time to figure things out, to learn how to give and receive love, still taken aback by it at times- and that was okay. Sakuma would let him take as much time as he needed, would be there for him.

When they finally parted from the kiss, the smile wasn’t leaving either of them. Even with the sky growing grayer, even with the rain already hitting the window and the storm coming closer, it was alright. They were together, and that was what really mattered.

With nothing else to do for the time being, Sakuma just pulled Koujirou down and on the bed. They could afford to spend some time just laying there and cuddling- not like that wasn’t exactly what Koujirou wanted.

When his hand rested on Koujirou's back, Sakuma could still find the scars on his skin, some deeper than others. He still hated to count them and be reminded of what Koujirou must’ve had to endure, hated even more the fresh ones, skin still tender around them. Koujirou knew that very well. He still was getting used to anyone seeing them, knowing of his weaknesses and pain. One of his hands almost hesitantly found Sakuma's, gently pulling it away from one of the scars on his side, fingers carefully intertwining.

“It’s alright. You’re here now.” It was the best thing he could ever ask for.

Sakuma let out a soft sigh. Right, it was all in the past. Even if it was still haunting him, still following them both… it would be alright now. He had to remind himself of that.

The silence that followed was warm and comfortable. All they needed was each other. Everything would be alright.

“Jirou?”

“Mh?”

“… I love you.”

“I love you too.”


End file.
